What must Amos have thought? Here he was just an ordinary shepherd minding his flocks in the rugged sheep country in Judah. And God calls him to prophesy against the nations. What do they think of him when he rebukes Israel and Judah for the meaninglessness of their worship? He is, after all, just a lowly shepherd. What does he know about worship?

Isn’t that just like God, He calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things!

There are many connections today with the prophecies against the nations, including many current events that have taken place recently.  The selfish religious establishment (in the days of Amos) had led the people into an institutionalized and meaningless form of religion. (from the commentary)  Any connections with the religious establishment today?

“Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”
God doesn’t pull a “sneak attack” if people are watching and listening. 
1Th 5:2-6
For you yourselves know accurately that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety! Then sudden destruction comes on them, as travail upon a woman with child. And they shall not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief. You are all the sons of light and the sons of the day. We are not of the night, or of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us watch and be calm. 

God tells us in His word what His plans are.  "The Sovereign Lord has spoken - who can but prophesy?"

In the books of the prophets, there is most often a literal prophecy and a figurative prophecy, sometimes of things yet to come in our future. Even though they warn of future doom for unbelievers, they were constantly reminding the people of all the good things that God had done for them. And yet no matter how God warned the people they still ignored Him. Often the people returned to God during the low points, however during the time of Amos they did not.

In today's reading, God warns the people about bringing offerings to the altar and then bragging about it. The people then were wealthy, powerful, greedy, and unjust. They only pretended to be religious.

Amos delivers a prophecy against the Ammonites and the Moabites both descendants from Lot and his daughters. (see Genesis 19)

It seems as if the prophecy against Judah is a warning of an adulterous relationship, while the prophecy  against Israel is a warning against prostitution.

At the end of each warning of impending disaster, the people are given opportunities to repent and return to Him and yet each time they refused.  If they had repented and returned to Him, He would have relented.

Amos was just an ordinary person until God called him. Since God calls us ordinary people to do extraordinary things, what things has He asked each of us to do?