Scripture:
Amos 8:11-12 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it".
Observation:
God has been rebuking Israel through his prophet Amos. He has been talking about the physical destruction that is coming upon them and in the midst of it, He talks about a famine. This famine is not of food and water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. Not hearing the word of the Lord is seen by God as part of the destruction of a nation. It says that God would send a famine on the land. Why would God send a famine to Israel of hearing the word of the Lord. The answer: What you are hungry for, you will go after.
Application:
Sometimes we go through spiritual famines in our lives. These are those times that we don't seem to be hearing from the Lord. It seems the heavens are brass and our prayers are going nowhere. The answer to a famine is to begin to eat and drink of the word of the Lord. Sometimes God wants to place hunger in us by not letting us hear from Him. The desired result is that we would seek Him more diligently. God wants us to seek Him and if He has to use a famine to get you hungry, He will! Instead of running away from God and thinking He is not answering your prayer, simply pursue Him with even more passion in your famine. Read the Word, do your daily wash, cry out to Him in prayer.
Prayer:
Lord, don't let us die in the famine, but teach us to seek You more in bad times. Help us to trust in You to a greater level and to believe that You will not allow us to go through more than we can bear. When famine comes, into our lives, let us turn to You and not away. Lord, let America realize we are in a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Let pastors and preachers begin to get hungry for your word again. Let the word of the Lord flow freely in America again. Let the priests not be afraid to preach the whole council of God nor afraid to lose people if they preach the truth. Let You leaders be bold again!
I Love You Lord,
Jeff
From my experience the 'Word of the Lord' means something in the modern church versus what it meant in the NT church. John 5:37-39 makes it clear that Scripture is not this term 'Word of God' that we frequently use, but a revelation of Himself to an individual. This Word is not something we turn on or earn but something we see or hear and recognize. I don't remember sermon's, but when I hear the word of the Lord I remember it as it leaves His imprint in my soul.
ReplyDeleteBob