more on the profit than on the prophet

Wednesday July 15^th, Amos 7:  4 Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, 5 saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"— skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, 6 buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.  7 The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done. Hear this you who trade jobs overseas and start wars for oil profits, hear this you who take your golden parachutes while driving the company into the ground and in the process destroy the livelihood of the workers who had them, hear this you who praise God while taking away the livelihood and food of those created in the image of God and called good,  hear this…  the Lord will never forget anything you have done.  It seems odd, we come into this world with nothing, we leave with nothing and we spend most of our time trying to get something, and in the process we are destroying the very things that do mean something, our relationships with others.  Many make the mistake of focusing more on the profit than on the prophet.  In doing so, what we gain is more than offset by what we lose.  What we gain is a bigger number in the bank account, what we lose is our soul.  It is possible to live well, seek justice and love mercy.  What it takes is simply to focus your life on Jesus words; love the Lord with all that is in you and love your neighbor as yourself.