Today is the day of national election day in Israel. They must choose among three parties to lead them. All three parties seem interested in national security. Two would pursue it by giving up more territory. The third would pursue it by giving up no more territory. Yet despite their increased peril, an amazing number of Israeli voters appear disinterested.

Thus verse 1 strikes me as so fitting for them today: “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria.”

That paragraph (at least as the KJV does paragraphs) ends with this:

“But they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph” (Amos 6:6).

Or as I translate it from the 1960 Spanish Bible: “They do not afflict themselves for the brokenness of Joseph.”

In Amos’ days, the people were disinterested in the breach (gap in the wall of protection) they had.

But never mind the Israelis then and now — what about me?

Do I care about my spiritual breaches? Do I think they are not important? Do I think they are just little things? Do I think I can live with them OK?

I must remember that any break in the dike poses a serious threat to my well-being.

The hart pants after the water brooks because only there will he find life.

The message burning in his brain is, “Seek water, and on finding it, you shall live.”

Those who pant after God have the same promise, given often in the Scriptures. Here is one of them:

“For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live” (Amos 5:4).

Alas for the hart, he might pant and seek…and still die.

But those who seek God find Him!

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart” (Psalm 119:2).

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).