Calling All Shepherds

Scripture: The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel two years before the earthquake.
He said:

The Lord roars from Zion
    and utters His voice from Jerusalem;
the pastures of the shepherds languish,
    the top of Carmel withers.

Amos 1:1-2

Observation: Amos is about to prophesy against a half dozen neighboring nations, plus against both Judah and Israel. He is going to declare their destruction and misery - the neighbors due to their warring ways against God's people, and God's people due to their religious rebellion against God. However, with this all about to go down, Amos is introduced as ... a shepherd.

Amos is a "least of these" kind of servant of the Lord. He is not some respected member of a city, or a consultant to a king. He is a smelly, uneducated laborer, who spends his time away from people, in some backwater location. However, we know that his words are true, as he declares even when these words are being recorded so that, when they come to pass (and they all do), there is evidence of the warning.

Application: I am reminded of how God uses the least likely and ill prepared to do his work, if only they will be open to his Holy Spirit. I have said this recently about modern-day events, like the success of Alpha coming out of an oddish looking Brit leading a hard-to-find church on the outskirts of London. This didn't come out of the great parish and respected leaders of St. Paul's Cathedral, or from the Pope at the Vatican, or from some televised minister at a bible belt mega-church. The fact it came from a no one, at a no place, is further evidence of its spirit-lead power.

Who is a shepherd in the Northwest today? Where is our no-name, no-power, ill-equipped leader of the awakening needed in this region? I would like to encourage them.

Prayer: Lord, please send your servant, for we are in need of revival. If that is through Evergreen, wonderful. If that is through some other medium, great. And if it is just to be the return of Jesus, magnificent! This corner of the world is darkening. Please send your light. Amen.