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“I will fix my eyes on them for harm and not for good.” --Amos 9:4
No matter our age and stage in life, we share a universal longing for guidance and support from those whom we can trust. It brings us great comfort when a friend or loved one ensures us that they are “keeping an eye out” for our wellbeing. Similarly, we may tell someone going through a difficult time that we are “looking out” for them as a means of showing our concern and love.
“I will fix my eyes upon them for good” is God’s promise as recorded by the prophet in Jeremiah 24:6. God’s omnipotent protection and care in our lives is one of the most comforting aspects of our faith. We know that no matter what distance we travel or obstacles we meet, the old song assures us that, “his eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.”
Yet in today’s reading from the prophet Amos, it is striking that God keeps an eye out “for harm and not for good.” We are reminded that God’s covenantal relationship with Israel does not give a free pass for God’s people to promote injustice, harm one another, or turn their backs on God. This Advent as you offer gratitude for those people and entities in your life that keep their eyes fixed on you, let us not shy away from the unique responsibilities with which God has entrusted us in our relationships with one another and as followers of Christ.
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