The Most Deadly Famine
“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. Amos 8:11
The prophet Amos warned: “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 of water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” This particularly deadly type of famine was a problem of the ears, not the stomach. We may well be in the early stages of a “hearing famine” in our generation.
For centuries, God’s Word has been at the center of church preaching. Today, questioning scriptural authority is in vogue, even in some major faith communities. Popular speakers advocate processing God’s Word through the cultural filters of the day rather than the other way around.
Christians also once understood that we don’t stand in judgment of the Bible; it stands in judgment of us. But many today are airbrushing the Word of God to make it palatable to those who want spirituality that cost nothing. Instead of being conformed to the image of Christ, we want to conform His image and everything else in Scripture, to our sad conditions.
Thirty years ago, people were saying, “If it feels good, do it” Today, we’re more subtle. We say, “if it sounds good, believe it.” When we try to figure out how on earth we can live with confidence in this crazy, chaotic world, we ought to be running to the Bible and not away from it.
The sad and tragic fact is that when people turn their backs on God and His Word, He will sometimes turn His back on them, giving them over to their willful sin (Rom. 1:18-32). This happened in Amos’ day, when God withdrew His prophetic revelation from those who mistreated and rejected His prophets.
People who disregard the Bible may get what they want someday; a society where the Bible is no longer read or proclaimed and where they can freely sin without scripture confronting their conscience. But they may get more than they bargained for. A society without the moral compass of scripture will self-destruct because of moral decay and decadence.
Consider this:
- How are you treating the Word of God?
- Are you conforming to the Word of God or conforming to the world.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your Word which is here to help me live according to Your will for me. Help me Lord, not to disregard the Bible.
Read: 8:4-12
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