Have you ever had someone walk into your life—even if it was just for a moment—and say something you needed to hear? You might not have liked what they had to say, but it was definitely something you needed to hear.
My hunch is that those timely messengers were not necessarily “experts” in the area in which they talked to you. They may have been a doctor talking about a medical need, or it may have been a friend talking about some health issues. Most of the time our valuable messengers are just everyday people.
God loves using “everyday people”!
- You don’t have to be a trained pastor to minister to people.
- You don’t have to be a trained theologian to tell people what you believe about God.
- You don’t have to be a trained counselor to encourage someone.
You just have to be who God created you to be. And you have to be available. Like Amos.
Amos was simply taking care of his farm and his herds when God called him to deliver a timely message to His people.
Amos introduces himself as just one of the shepherds of Tekoa (1:1) and tells another priest that he was simply minding his own business when God said, “Go, prophesy to My people” (7:10-15).
Amos’ name means burden-bearer—he had a burden for his kinsmen. He saw their sin and knew what defiance of God would mean for them. This burden made him available to hear God’s voice say, “Go.”
“But I’m not a trained prophet,” Amos could have said. “You are telling me to ‘prophesy’ but all I really know is farming and shepherding.”
God said, “Say what you know.”
What did Amos know?
- Amos knew God’s voice—In this short book, 43 times(!) Amos uses phrases like says the Lord, declares the Lord, or hear the word of the Lord.
- Amos knew his business—This book is filled with language about sheep and shepherds, farmers and farm equipment, gardens and vineyards.
- Amos knew God had told him “Go and speak” so Amos had boldness.
You can put your name in all three of those places that say Amos. You can know God’s voice through the Bible, you know your “business” (whether it’s parenting, or coaching, or your own profession), and you can hear God saying, “Go, tell people about Me.”
God wants to use you for His glory. He just needs your availability. Will you be open to being that person?
Join me next week as we continue to learn the major lessons from that the minor prophets teach us.
Craig T. Owens 