Wake Up: God Is Sounding the Alarm

When the Alarm Goes Off

Alarms are jarring on purpose. They're not meant to be sweet or soothing—they’re meant to wake us up. And honestly? I hate waking up to alarms. They're loud, intrusive, and always seem to go off at the worst possible time. But that's the point. If they were pleasant, we’d sleep right through them. They disrupt our comfort on purpose—because something important needs our attention.

God’s roar through Amos is that kind of alarm. It’s a holy interruption—a divine wake-up call to people who had fallen asleep in privilege, power, and apathy.“The Lord roars from Zion, and raises His voice from Jerusalem...” (Amos 1:2)

Sometimes God whispers. Sometimes God nudges. But then there are moments—urgent, shaking, unavoidable—when God roars.

Amos 1:1–2; 2:6–16 is one of those moments. The shepherd-prophet from Tekoa steps onto the scene with a word not just for Israel’s enemies, but for Israel itself. God is sounding the alarm—and it’s time to wake up.

A Wake-Up Call We Didn’t See Coming

At first, Amos seems like the kind of prophet we like. He speaks words of judgment against Israel’s enemies—Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, and others. But then, the tone shifts. In chapter 2, Amos turns his attention inward. Now, Israel is in the crosshairs.

The people of God had become complacent, comfortable, and complicit. They were going through the motions of religion while ignoring justice. They were oppressing the poor, selling out the righteous, and silencing the prophets. All the while, they assumed their prosperity was a sign of God’s blessing. But God saw something different. God saw rot under the surface. So God roared.

God Is Still Roaring

God is still speaking through Amos, and God’s voice is still roaring in our direction. Not out of wrath alone, but out of love that won’t let us sleep through injustice. Out of grace that refuses to let our comfort come at the cost of another’s pain.

What are the ways we have fallen asleep to the suffering around us? Where have we traded faithfulness for familiarity? Have we become so at ease with the way things are that we’ve stopped imagining what God’s kingdom could look like?

Amos reminds us that God is not silent in the face of injustice. He calls us to wake up, stand up, and live differently.

A Call to Action

To “wake up” spiritually is more than just awareness—it’s action. Waking up means:

• Listening to the cries of the oppressed.

• Speaking up when others stay silent.

• Giving generously and living simply.

• Repenting when we’ve been part of the problem.

• Following God’s call, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Final Thought

The alarm is sounding. Not to scare us, but to save us. Not to shame us, but to shake us free from our spiritual slumber.

Wake up, Church. The roar of God is not the end—it’s the beginning of something new.

"Let anyone with ears to hear listen to what the Spirit is saying..." (Revelation 2:7)

Prayer:
God of justice and mercy, wake us up. Open our eyes to the ways we’ve fallen asleep to Your call. Give us courage to face uncomfortable truths and faith to follow wherever You lead. May we live as people awakened to Your vision for justice, mercy, and love. Amen.