Amos 9:15 // Summer of Scripture

Welcome to Summer of Scripture on the Naked marriage podcast. For 66 days in a row, we're releasing a short daily devotional for your marriage. Over these 66 days, we'll be sharing one scripture from each of the 66 books of the Bible and talking about how it applies to your life and marriage. Listen to all 66 episodes of these, and you'll have a better understanding of God's word and his perfect plan for your marriage. Let's dive in to today's scripture. Hey, there. Welcome back. If you probably were paying attention, we got a little ahead of ourselves and said that today was gonna be day 31, but it is actually day 30.

She's so sweet. She always says we when I make a mistake.

Well, I was thinking the same thing.

Like, I. This whole time I've been a day off, I think. So just don't just disregard what I say in regards to what day it is. But it is. I have confirmation that it is day 30. Yes. And we're in the Book of Amos.

Amos, that's right. Amos, chapter nine, verse 15. It says this. I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them, says the Lord your God. And I love that.

Yeah, I love it. I think it's a beautiful picture of how God has a plan for each of us, and this is a theme throughout Scripture, that God has a plan for us, and he wants us to occupy that space that he has given to us. He wants us to put down roots, and he wants. Wherever you are right now, I think this is a beautiful picture of kind of that old adage, bloom, where you're planted.

Yes, yes.

So you might be in a season where you think, man, I don't want to be here. Maybe you've moved someplace and you're like, I want to get out of here as fast as I can. And we've had some moves like that. We've moved and been in some spots where we think, like, man, I don't know if this is for us or I don't think we're going to be here that long. But what we found through the years is, even if we're someplace for a short time, that we need to be fully planted while we are there, and we need to do the work to build relationships while we are there. Maybe you're a military couple that maybe your job forces you to have to move around and you feel like you can never truly put roots, but whenever you are someplace, be fully present right There knowing that God has brought you here, even where you are right this day, you know, like, Lord, today in the meetings, in the conversations that I have, let me be fully present, Let me be fully planted. Let me make the most of today, because I want to do it for your glory.

I don't know if you remember this, but years ago, we were visiting with our friends Chris and Paulette. And Chris. Chris worked at Nike Corporate. He gave us a tour of Nike Corporate, which was so cool. And we had lunch there in that cafeteria. And I remember we were just as friends, just. They were asking us about the season we were in. And at that time, you know, we were. I think we had just transitioned in a move, and our kids weren't necessarily thriving, like, in their relationships, like finding friends and things like that. And then so it made us doubt, like, where we were and that kind of thing. And I remember Paulette looked me in the eye and she said, you know, Ashley, you need to be where your feet are planted. And she said it just like that. And I. Maybe to somebody else, they'd be like, well, yeah, but to me at that time, it was so wise, and it's exactly what I needed to hear. And it was such a cool way of saying it because I, at that time, had never heard it said that way. But I was like, you know, Paulette, that's exactly what I needed to hear. Because in essence, it's like, wherever you are, know that God brought you there. And, you know, maybe it's not gonna be a permanent place, but. But be present and take in what. What you know is going on in that moment. Learn from it, but also do what God's called you to do. You know what I'm saying? And I just. I really was impacted by that statement. And I've used it with some other people. Like, I've passed that along. And I feel like in essence, I mean, that's. That's one thing we can learn from this verse. Because wherever you are, there's something. There's some reason you're there, right?

Absolutely.

And I think that, you know, whether it's, you know, I've heard this. It's like there's a. You know, you can have success, but not necessarily failure. It's just learning, you know what I'm saying? And I mean, I guess some things really could be all out failures, but really in the failure, there's a lesson, right? And I think that we've seen that along the way, too. I think sometimes it can feel like an itchy sweater season where you're like, I don't even know why I'm here. But I can tell you now that we've, you know, we have that perspective of being together. You know, we've been married 22 years. When I look back on those sandpaper seasons, those itchy sweater seasons, man, did we learn a lot, right?

Yeah, we did.

And we actually had great relationships in the midst of those. Like. Like, it wasn't all hard, you know, I think in the. When we're living in it, it feels hard and itchy and wrong, and you're like, oh. But then when I look back on it, now that I have that perspective, I'm like, I grew a lot in that season.

Yeah. Because I think we can all fall into that trap of thinking, well, my life's really going to start when I get. And so until I get there, this is just a waiting season. I just got to survive it. I just got to get through it. And we can live our whole lives that way and never really ever be planted where we are to never be present, where our feet are, so to speak. But even though every stop in this life is temporary until we get to heaven, that's our only eternal stop. God wants us to be fully present in all of it because he has a plan for you today right where you are. So don't just try to survive the day. Don't just try to get through it. Don't just get lost, you know, scrolling through your phone and doing everything else, but look around and be present to the people in your life. Be open to conversations that are meaningful. Be open to what God is doing right where you are. And thank him for the season that you're in instead of just asking him to give you the strength to endure it, even though that's a fine prayer, too. But thank Him, God, you've given unique opportunities to me right where I am, right in this season. This might not be my favorite stop. This might be a place where, you know, I hope that I'm in a different job soon or a different city soon or a different season soon. But, Lord, right where I am every day, there are unique blessings and unique opportunities and help me to just open my eyes, take them in, and live fully right where I am, knowing that yout're here with me and that yout've got great things in store for me. And I think that that simple perspective, that simple shift in perspective can make such a difference. I know that it's made a difference for us, especially in some of those seasons where it was Like Ashley said, a sandpaper season. But we grew so much through it. And really looking back on those, God did something super unique in each one of them. And I'm so, so thankful for that.

I am, too. And just coming back to this verse in Amos to give perspective, like, biblical perspective in the history of the Israelites, like, there'd been so much weariness and not having, you know, land is everything, like, especially in those times, just having a. To put down roots. And I love how there's this declaration from God saying, like, yes, you've been wandering, you've been different places. There's been all this history, right, leading up to this point. But I want you to know I am a God of promises. Like, I'm a God who fulfills My promises. And here you're going to be rooted. And, you know, the whole time they didn't have to lose it, right? They're rooted in God and just being God's people, right? And that really in and of itself should be enough. But God knew in their heart they wanted that land, right? And I think just having that declaration from the Lord himself, like, saying, I'm fulfilling my promise, you see, I don't know why you doubted me. I don't know why you had to lose it and, like, worship other gods and be all weird and, like, you know, betray me in many ways. But here I am again, giving you more chances, showing you mercy and showing you that My promises will be fulfilled. And I think for some of us today, we just need to hear that, like, God is a God who fulfills his promises.

He does.

He will fulfill his promise. And he's not surprised by our doubt. Because again, we're humans and we're, we have frailty and, and, and so we just need to remember that God will fulfill his promise. Like, if, you know, through your prayer life, you felt that, you know, you, the Holy Spirit, you know, there was this promise like, that God made to you. Like, you know, you're like God. I know that was from you, but you haven't seen it yet. Know that he will fulfill it in his time. Because God's timing is so much better than our timing. But let me tell you, it never is the way that we think it should be, but it's because he sees it all. So just know today that he is a God who fulfills his promises. And you know, most of God's, nearly all of them are in the Bible. I mean, you can. If you're, if you're wondering, well, what are God's promises, read the Bible. Right?

Right.

There's many in there.

So many promises. And they are. They're beautiful.

They're so beautiful.

And resting in them will change your life.

Yes.

So I hope that's encouraged you you guys today. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Day 31. We'll see you then.