Thursday, October 9, 2008
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A Famine in the Land
" 'The days are coming,' declares the Sovereign LORD, 'when I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.' " (Amos 8:11).
We read in the papers or watch on the news of famines that happen from time to time in countries around the world. We see the pictures of the little children in the two-thirds world who go hungry. I hope that we are moved and do what we can to help. And I know that there are those even in our own country that will be forced to go to sleep tonight not having had enough food to eat to properly sustain them. At the same time, I have heard people say, as it gets close to mealtime, "I am starving." And I know that most of us have absolutely no idea of what real hunger is about. Most of us have difficulty even fasting voluntarily for a day. That is one kind of hunger that most likely hasn't touched us too closely.
The prophet Amos told of another time that was coming often referred to as the Day of the LORD by the Old Testament prophets. It would be a time of judgment and reward at the end of days. And I cannot help but wonder, if it were close enough for them to see when they prophesied, how much closer must we be to the end now that almost three millennia have passed? Along with all of the other great and terrible things that were to happen, Amos prophesied a time of famine, though not a famine of food or a shortage of water, "but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD" (Amos 8:11). If you read the rest of the book, it would appear that the people of Amos' day weren't listening to God anyway, so why would God continue to talk to them? And Amos said that "Men would stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it" (Amos 8:12).
Is this happening today? I don't think so. At least not yet. Something far worse is taking place. Most homes have more copies of the word of God than we can count. The church is surrounded by the word of God. It is regularly read and preached in church buildings across the country. We could probably tune in to some religious broadcast on television or radio at any time of the day or night. The internet has made Bible teaching available immediately 24/7 with a simple point and click. There is no famine of the word of God. No, there is something way more troubling going on.
God has brought us to his banqueting table. His banner over us is love (Songs of Songs 2:4). And we have decided not to eat or maybe just snack a little here or there. We wouldn't want to get fat. A few years ago, Amy Grant sang a song about many in the church who become Christians and figure that they have enough. She sang about a man "who knelt at the altar and that was the end. He's saved and that's all that matters to him. His spiritual tummy, it can't take too much. One day a week, he gets his spiritual lunch. . . . He's just a fat, fat, fat, fat . . . little baby." It is the three dollars worth of God kind of Christianity (see the September 4/08 faith challenge). The writer to the Hebrews laments the fact that the Christians he was writing to,
"need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14).
Is this not what we see so much of today as well. We are surrounded by the word of God. It is so accessible. We have every imaginable teaching and help to understand it. And yet, so many leave it unopened, neglected. For many, there might as well be a famine of hearing the word of the LORD as Amos prophesied for it would make no noticeable difference to their lives.
How is your intake of the word of God? Is it just once a week, whatever the preacher decides to cook up for you? Maybe it is more often but somewhat sporadic. Could it be that it is daily, but still only a small snack or a glass of milk with some cookies? That is better but still not enough for a growing man or woman of God. How about a big meal! A feast! Every day at his banquet table! Don't worry, this is not fattening at all. Hear the word of the LORD in abundance each and every day. Like God told Joshua,
"And don't for a minute let this Book be out of your mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you'll get where you're going; then you'll succeed" (Joshua 1:8 The Message).
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