For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
God showed Amos some pictures, like dreams while he was awake. One of them had a simple little string in it — and it taught something big.
Today's Story
God showed Amos a picture of trouble coming, like a swarm of hungry bugs that could eat all the crops. Amos cried out, “Oh Lord, please stop! The people are so small. How can they make it?”
And God said kindly, “All right. It will not happen.” Then God showed another hard picture, and again Amos begged Him to stop, and again God said, “All right. It will not happen.” God loves it when we ask Him for mercy.
Then God showed Amos something new. God was standing by a wall, holding a string with a little weight on the bottom. Builders use a string like that to check if a wall is straight and not leaning over and about to fall.
“Amos, what do you see?” God asked.
“A measuring string,” said Amos.
God said, “I am holding up My straight string next to My people, to show what has gone crooked. It is time for them to get straight again.”
A man named Amaziah did not like Amos telling the truth. “Be quiet and go away!” he said. But Amos was brave. “I am only a shepherd,” he said, “but God told me to speak. So I will keep speaking.”
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- Have you ever tried to draw a straight line without a ruler? It is wobbly! What helps you keep something straight and true?
- Amos kept telling the truth even when someone told him to stop. When is it hard for you to tell the truth or do the right thing?
- When Amos saw trouble coming, he asked God to be kind to the people. Who could you ask God to be kind to today?