Lean Into the Wind

As I continued in Amos today, I became very uneasy as I read the following: “I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your assemblies…take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.” (Amos 5:21-23)  Yes, I’ve read this before and may have even posted it before but on the heels of Mr. Tozer’s book, Deeper Life, it continues to convict me.  Consider the following excerpts from his book.

“I believe that the imperative need of the day is not simply revival but a radical reformation that will go to the root of our moral and spiritual maladies and deal with causes rather than consequences, with the disease rather than with symptoms.”

“Natural talents enable a man to work within the field of nature; but through the body of Christ, God is doing an eternal work above and beyond the realm of fallen nature.  This requires supernatural working.  Religious work can be done by natural men without the gifts of the Spirit, and it can be done well and skillfully.  But work designed for eternity can only be done by the eternal Spirit.  No work has eternity in it unless it is done by the Spirit through gifts.” 

How do those two quotes relate to Amos?  Sometimes I fear the church goes through a lot of motion with no inward holy motivation.  They do well in much of that “motion” but if it’s not Spirit led, it’s vain and worthless.  We need revival.  And I really think that need is ongoing.  We constantly need to pray and ask God for guidance in regard to our motives for everything done in His name.  Because His name IS our reason or we “chase after the wind”.

One more quote from Tozer and I’ll end with it.  Let us be encouraged and challenged by these thoughts.  We must wake up and live like Jesus.  “So strongly is the breeze blowing for revival that scarcely anyone appears to have the discernment or the courage to turn around and lean into the wind.”