God's people were busy making money, accumulating things, and practicing their religion. But God was also very busy—sending famines, droughts, blights, locusts, epidemics, warfare, and perhaps earthquakes in judgment for their unrighteousness (Amos 4:6-11). He hoped they would heed these “minor” warnings before He sent the rod of His anger against them (Isaiah 10:5).
Rain fell on one part of the country, but not on another. When it rained, it rained too much, causing floods. In other places, just enough rain fell to deceive the people into feeling hopeful—that it was not so bad after all.
This process is evident in the United States. Natural disasters—insurance companies call them “acts of God”—seem to be growing more frequent and more intense, killing many and causing billions of dollars in damage. Floods ravage some areas of the nation, while drought kills crops in other areas. After a year or so of good rainfall, California frequently falls back into drought conditions—only to suffer from floods the next year! Fires rage over thousands of acres after periods of drought, destroying forests and homes. Sudden earthquakes, storms, tornadoes, and extreme temperatures destroy homes, businesses, and lives.
It never gets quite bad enough to send the nation into an actual tailspin, but it is just enough that, like the Egyptian Pharaoh of the Exodus (Exodus 7:13-14), we continue to harden our hearts. We fail to repent. If the unrepentant attitude continues, the “natural” disasters will intensify, bankrupting the nation economically. Since money seems to be the nation's foremost god, the true God will hit where it hurts most. Most Americans have become so far removed from God that they lack the eyes to see and the ears to hear the warnings He sends. Educated in a system that fundamentally denies God, they lack understanding.
Blind to God, they interpret His warnings as natural events—just nature running her course. Most view an earthquake, flood, or drought as “nature doing her thing.” Rather than heed the warning and repent, Americans turn to their other false gods—science and technology—to bail them out. “Design better levies to protect us from floods,” they cry. “Seed the clouds to produce more rain.” “Engineer stronger buildings to withstand more powerful earthquakes.” “Science will someday give us the ability to predict—even stop—earthquakes.” Americans have eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15).
In these disasters, God is saying something quite different—something vitally important. He is warning the people that they have a responsibility, and if they fail to live up to their covenant with Him, He has the power to correct them so that they will repent. So, in fairness and mercy, God lays a simple choice before them: “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12). Their choice is either to face their sins and repent or face the wrath of a just God.
To bring about His purpose, God is active in His creation, especially among His people, whether physical or spiritual Israel. “If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?” (Amos 3:6). Is God involved in our lives? Do things happen by chance to God's people? This world would have one believe God is not really aware, that He does not care or even exist. But He says, “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7).
Is God involved? “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:29-30). Do we see God working in our lives? Events do not happen accidentally to God's people, of whom God is very aware. He is deeply concerned and thus extremely involved.