9.18.2026 - Mario Perez

Friday 

Read Amos 5:18-24

Growing up, my brother and I would play darts. First in our room until my dad realized how bad we were, then in the garage. We would play non-stop in hopes to get a bullseye with every throw. No matter what the score was, we were trying to get that little red dot or the green circles around it. It wasn’t until my dad told us that the goal wasn’t always to get that bullseye but to eventually get exactly to zero from 101. The best route to do so was to hit the 20 marker that was directly above the bullseye.

There are plenty of times in which we think we know what to do and try our best to hit the mark not realizing we are missing the bigger picture. This is what happened to the Israelites. They thought by obeying God’s law, they were in good standing, but they missed the big picture. God’s law was to lead them to worship, not just by offerings and song, but by how they displayed love and care for those around them. God calls them out for it by saying that he didn’t want to receive their worship or offering but instead to let justice roll down like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream. Sometimes we miss the mark in thinking we are obeying God’s commands, but if his commands don’t lead us to help those in need, then aren’t really following his commands but our own desires.