The first rule of mule training is getting its attention. That’s why one famous mule trainer was known for whacking a new mule over the head with a two by four by way of introduction. It may seem harsh, or cruel even, but only to those who’ve never been around mules and don’t understand how stubborn and unresponsive they are until they understand the consequence of not paying attention. The farther we get away from an agrarian culture the less we understand mules even though we still say things like “he’s as stubborn as a mule.”

In a similar way, as American culture has changed from agrarian to technological we’ve come to disdain the idea of God having the right to “get our attention.” When people’s success and even survival depends on forces outside their control they learn to turn to the One who controls nature. When everything is handed to us instantly online and in an app we begin to believe we’re in control and turn away from a God we believe unnecessary.

Morning Minutes in the Bible on An American Missionary has been looking at the Old Testament book of Amos as he condemned the wealthy women of Samaria for their active cruelty toward the poor and needy in an effort to get their attention with a warning of coming captivity (Amos 4:1-3). But they were stubborn as mules. In a perverse twist of reality they thought they had God’s attention with their regular worship (Amos 4:4-5). And they did, except it was the wrong kind of attention because their worship was unacceptable. Instead of obedience it was disobedience, because it was in defiance of God’s will.

So God tried to get their attention through calamity after calamity but they would not listen. In five statements Amos reminded them of God’s effort to call them back to Him. Five times he ended the statement with this haunting phrase:

“’Yet you have not returned to Me!’ declares the Lord” (Amos 4:6-11).

Then in verses 12 and 13 we find yet another attempt to get the whole nation’s attention as Amos told them of more judgment to come from “the Lord God of Hosts. Listen to v 12.

“Therefore thus I will do to you O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.”

While America has never been a “Christian nation”, despite its philosophical roots and claims, our culture has devolved as it has become more blatantly anti-God. In one sense we’ve merely swapped one form of acceptable (?) sin for another form of acceptable (?) sin. One form of mistreatment of others for another. The main difference is our culture now gives even less lip service to God than it did before. We may have stopped offering unacceptable worship, but that doesn’t make us acceptable to God. Are we any more prepared to meet our God than Israel of old? Does God have your attention?