We are heading toward the worst period of mankind's history, requiring the greatest resources to negotiate the coming troubles, which are primarily spiritual. We need supernatural spiritual help, available to God's children through Jesus Christ, establishing a relationship with the Father and the Son, the source of the greatest power in the universe. Power belongs to our Father in Heaven, encompassing not just brute strength but qualities like love, wisdom, mercy, intellect, judgment, and understanding, distributed as He wills, always accomplishing His best purpose. We must make the best use of this relationship, recognizing that God is our strength, as the Israelites sang in Exodus 15 and David echoed in the Psalms. Strength is wealth, and wealth is power, including not only material prosperity but also health, sound mindedness, education, and godly perception, all provided by God for our benefit. God opens doors and grants favor, using His power to prosper us, often as by-products of His promises to Abraham. We must humble ourselves, remembering Jesus' words that without Him, we can do nothing, and acknowledge that He upholds all things by the word of His power. In times of need, we must look to God for help, as urged in Psalm 121, ensuring we are seeking Him and establishing a pattern of accessing His powers. Our cooperation with God is essential during the sanctification process, trusting that He watches over every circumstance, as stated in Romans 8:28, promising that all things work together for good. Even in discouragement, we must catch ourselves and turn to God, accepting the challenges He places before us as part of our preparation for the Kingdom of God. God's providence is certain, and He will always do what is right for His purpose, providing for us in every situation, as Paul emphasizes in Romans 8:31-32, reminding us of the immense gift of His Son. Our responsibility is to choose to draw on His power and cooperate by faith, accepting whatever He provides. Hebrews 11 comforts us with examples of those who, by faith in God, overcame great challenges and will be in the Kingdom. It is critical to know God as the source of our deliverance, building a stronger, more intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. God wants us to think of Him first in every time of need, going right to the top for the best advice, kindest hearing, and most merciful response, even when we have done wrong. Jesus Himself, despite His divine nature, turned to the Father for help, setting a clear example for us to follow, committing everything to the Father's will, knowing it is best. God is actively involved in working out His purpose, using His power to shape us like clay into His image, a process requiring love, wisdom, and powers far beyond human capacity. He summons us, reveals Himself, grants repentance, provides faith, offers our Savior through Jesus' life and death, resurrects Him, gives His Spirit for eternal life, justifies us, opens access to Him, bestows His love, sanctifies us through Christ, and equips us with gifts to serve within the church. What God requires, He enables, which is why we must keep turning to Him as our Father, the source of every strength needed for salvation, rather than turning to the world. John the Baptist's recognition of God's provision, even amidst competition, underscores the importance of protecting this relationship at all costs. God directs us to rely on Him for all we need, ensuring we are prepared for His purpose through constant turning to Him.

The Lord God, in His holiness, has sworn by Himself to emphasize the gravity of His pronouncements against Israel, who, despite receiving His calling, promises, Word, and laws, turned their backs on Him. He expected to see His characteristics in His people, but instead found them in spiritual adultery, following other gods and ways of life, showing less sense than a dumb ox or donkey in their rebellion against their Father. He provided Israel with advantages—His law, providence, and protection—to live His way, yet they opposed Him in every area of life. God desired clear evidence of godly living to verify Israel's claims of being His people, but saw only a nation organized on human self-concern, lacking the substance of true religion. He called them to be holy, as He is holy, different and separate, with love as His outstanding attribute flowing from His holiness. Yet, Israel failed to reflect this, showing no devotion to Him or their fellow man, unable to see their sins or compare themselves to His holiness, thus missing the need for repentance. Through Amos, God warned Israel of their complacency, revealing that He was not walking with them as they assumed. He knocked on their door, desiring to be in their lives, though they were deceived by their wealth and power, feeling secure in their religious practices. He urged them to seek Him and live, to turn to good and not evil, to hate evil and love good, establishing justice, promising that if they did so, the Lord God of hosts would be with them. Seeking Him is an imperative act, not a natural inclination, but one that produces godly life, combining action and emotion to create a whole way of life that reflects His holiness. God, as the Sovereign Covenant God, has every right to expect obedience from His people and will keep His promises, whether blessings or cursings. He desires their salvation, willing to bring pain through trials if necessary to create His character in them, though He prefers they seek what is good and right to avoid severe testing. His ultimate purpose through Amos was to show Israel that the one they worshiped was not the true God, for if they knew Him, their repentance would be evident. He stands as the standard, testing His people with the plumb line of His revelation, combining grace and law, to see if they exhibit His characteristics and truly live as His sons and daughters.