Monday, August 26, 2024
Title: The Vision of the Basket of Fruit
” I had another vision from the Sovereign Lord. In it, I saw a basket of fruit. The Lord asked, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ ‘A basket of fruit,’ I answered. The Lord said to me, ‘The end has come for my people Israel. I will not change my mind again about punishing them. On that day the songs in the palace will become cries of mourning. There will be dead bodies everywhere. They will be thrown out in silence.’”—Amos 8:2-3
Imagine seeing a big basket filled with fruit like apples, oranges, or bananas. The fruit looks so fresh and tasty, but it won’t stay that way forever. This is the picture God showed to a man named Amos in a special dream called a vision.
In the vision, God asked Amos what he saw. Amos replied that he saw a basket of fruit. Now, this wasn’t just any fruit; it was summer fruit, which means it was ripe and ready to be eaten. But God wasn’t talking about fruit because He was hungry—He was showing Amos something important about His people, Israel.
Just like fruit that becomes ripe and then spoils if not eaten quickly, God’s people had reached a point where they had made so many wrong choices that God’s patience was running out. They had turned away from God, and even though He had given them many chances to change, they didn’t listen. Because of this, God told Amos that the time had come for them to face the consequences of their actions.
God said that when this time came, there would be a lot of sadness. Places that were once full of joyful songs, like the palace, would instead be filled with crying and mourning. There would be so much sorrow that people wouldn’t even have words to express it, and there would be dead bodies everywhere, thrown out in silence. This sounds really scary, but it’s important to understand why God said this.
God’s message was a warning. He didn’t want the people to suffer, but they had chosen to do what was wrong for so long that they left Him with no choice. God is very patient and loving, but when people keep ignoring His guidance, they eventually have to face the consequences of their actions.
God is like a loving parent who gives us many chances to do what’s right. But if we keep choosing to do wrong, there comes a time when we have to face the results of our choices. It’s important to make good decisions now so we can avoid bad consequences later. When God gives us warnings, it’s not because He wants to scare us, but because He loves us and doesn’t want us to get hurt. Just like how your parents might warn you not to touch a hot stove, God’s warnings are meant to protect us. Before this final judgment, God’s actions were mixed with mercy. This means that even when He allowed bad things to happen, He was still giving people a chance to turn back to Him. But in this vision, God told Amos that the time for mercy was ending because the people had refused to change. This teaches us that it’s important to listen to God’s voice and make changes when we need to.
Thought for Reflection
God’s love is like the ripe fruit in the basket—precious and ready for us to enjoy. Just as ripe fruit can spoil if left too long, our chances to choose what is right won’t last forever. Let’s not wait too long to take it and live in a way that makes Him happy. Let’s listen to God today and make choices that bring joy to His heart.
Song
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me I still will follow,
Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank You for always showing us the right path and giving us chances to choose what is good. Help us to listen to Your voice, make good choices every day and follow You with all our hearts.. We know that You love us and want what is best for us and that Your love and patience are always there. Please guide us to make choices that honor You and bring peace and joy to our lives. Please forgive us when we make mistakes and help us to learn from them . When we go astray, remind us of Your love and help us to return to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Father, tell us a story.”
The Hopeful, released on April 17, 2024, opens with widower John Nevins Andrews sailing on a ship with his two children, Charles and Mary. They’re the first missionaries sent out by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, en route to Switzerland.
To help his children fall asleep, Andrews tells a bedtime story of the early beginnings of the Advent Movement.
This story features people who hope for the Second Coming of Christ, grapple with complex Bible prophecies, deal with resistance and disappointments, and gain spiritual strength and insight through the truths they discovered in the Word of God.
Wondering how this film compares to the actual historical accounts?
Here’s a peek into the rest of the story, covering how the Adventist Church progressed from its humble beginnings into the worldwide Christian Protestant denomination is it now……Read more
Looking for a free online Bible study to lead you through God’s Word? Find one in the list below.
As Seventh-day Adventists, our promise is to help our friends understand the Bible to find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus. If you would like to experience this kind of relationship with Jesus and learn more about His plans for you, we’ve selected a variety of Bible studies to get you started.