What comes to your mind when you think of famine? A food shortage? Dry land and withering plants? Parched fields where food once grew in abundance? A water shortage that brings forth thirst and hunger? Do you picture starving children with bloated bellies? We may picture these images in our mind. With certainty, they are sad. Yet, none of these things were being referenced in the title of this blog entry: “A Famine is Coming!”
You may find this to be odd. After all, famine is about food and water shortages, isn’t it?
As cited in a recent blog post titled, “Teacher: True or False?” the scriptures state that there will come a time when false teachers among us will deceive many. The false teachers had been fraternizing alongside the Israelites. The time referred to had come to their land then, and now, it is here again, in our present day.
There is yet another time coming. Although it is not here yet in full force, it has certainly begun, in my opinion. Yes, famine has been here before and is now in the forms of lack of food and water. However, this famine is different.
The Bible states: “ ‘The time is surely coming,’ says the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord.’ ” (Amos 8:11)
In fact, did you know that the very next verse in the Bible states that: “People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord but they will not find it.” (Amos 8:12)
Don’t wait for the famine.
Why do people put off reading the Bible? Why don’t they read the precious Holy Word of God daily? It’s needed so very much. It’s food for your soul and spirit. Please don’t wait another day.
“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His [God’s] life brought light to everyone.” (John 1:4)
In the Bible, we are told the story of Joseph and a prior famine of food that struck the whole world.
“… People from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.” (Genesis 41:57)
The famine of the Word of God will be worldwide and similar to the food shortage that struck the world in Joseph’s day.
I am not immune to my own famine of the Word. Although I may read the Bible every single day, communing with the Lord and being fed by His Word daily, at times, I suddenly find myself not reading the Bible at all for several days. One day turns into the next when I realize that I have not opened up God’s Word, the Bible! I find myself lacking direction and losing my close communication with God and His Word.
How does this happen? Why are we so easily distracted? We stray away from the Lord even though we know that we shouldn’t! Although we live in a fallen world with sin running rampant, we must keep our focus on God, so that we are not as easily distracted. We cannot grow weary. We must stay in the Word of God daily. After all, God has given Himself as a sacrifice and suffered for us. After all He did for us, can’t we even commit to Him every day? It’s for our own good! His Word is given for our daily bread. We must eat food daily to survive. We need His Word, the Bible, daily, too. God’s words are life and the Word of God is alive.
From now on, we must remember that there will come a time of great famine of God’s Word. As I mentioned earlier, I believe this time has already begun.
It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4).
Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises for “all the promises of God find their Yes in Him.” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Jesus Christ is the very Word of God (Revelation 19:13), which is why he called Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:35) for “whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:58). Jesus is the Source and Sustainer of our hope because without Him we would not have a future.
“… Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But Jesus told him, ‘No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)
Let our desire be as Jeremiah describes:
“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.” (Jeremiah 15:16)
There is a lack of hunger for God’s Word. What can we do about it? First, we need to realize that we ourselves hunger for God and His Word, and we need to fulfill that hunger by reading the Bible daily and praying without ceasing. We need to tell others, too. We need to encourage others to read the Bible daily and pray without ceasing, too.
We need to realize that we are not living in right relationship with the Lord when we are not feeding on His Word. We separate ourselves from God when we sin and when we do not feed on His Word daily.
What do we need? We need to be immersed in the Bible (the Word of God). We need to allow God to write His Word on our heart. We need to study and meditate on the Bible day and night, every day!
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8)
Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.
God’s Word for Today: Remember: “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11)
Copyright © 2015 by Patricia Shehan
