“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:” Amos 8:11
Much of the Old Testament book of Amos was addressed to people of the past. It contains some prophecies of bygone days, but it has some pertaining to our future. Although the majority of Amos was to the Jews, there is still a biblical principle in Amos 8:11 that we can glean from and see the similarities to our day.
God warned the people that there would be a famine in the land. It would not be the kind of famine they had experienced in the past, nor one that could easily be seen. It would not be a lack of food. The famine was to be a time when people would spiritually starve, as they would not get the Truth from Heaven. They would have a spiritual “hearing” problem.
We live in a similar day about which the Jews were warned. Although there is an abundance of “bibles,” churches often are in walking distance of many residences, and there is a preacher spouting something religious from most televisions, radios, or internet sites, there is something seriously missing from them. From the majority of them, there is “… a form of godliness … “ (II Tim. 3:5). They seem religious, but the whole truth and the power of God are often missing.
With over 300+ translations or revisions of the English Bible, those perversions of the truth also have “… a form of godliness … “, but are missing the real power they should have from Heaven. People are not hearing all of the real Word of God. It has been changed.
God preserved His Word so we would always have the truth. The King James Version is that preserved Word (its Hebrew and Greek roots are also available in most major languages) and has no words missing, or doctrines changed as all the other versions have done. Read the whole truth, not just some form of it that someone has used to earn money or to promote their religion’s false teachings.
Many preachers also withhold the whole truth, as they do not want to “drive people away” from their congregation. They water down the message they should be delivering to their people and are fearful they will hurt feelings, offend people, and lose an audience.
If perhaps you find yourself in a church that is not emphasizing the truths from the preserved Word of God, ask God to direct you to one that does. If you are not in a local church, find one, and no, a television broadcast of a church service is not enough. We all need the message given by God to a local pastor and need to be in a place where we can have encouragement from God’s people. No one will grow in the things of the Lord unless he hears the Word of God.
People also do not really hear the whole Word of God because of the hardness of their hearts. When the Holy Spirit of God whispered in their hearts about something they should do or stop doing, and they did not obey, their consciences became unable to “hear” his desires for them. After a while of disobedience, the Holy Spirit will not prod their heart anymore, or they are no longer sensitive to His leading.
“… By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Matthew 13:14
If it has been a long time since a saved child of God has heard from God, it may be long past time that one’s heart is examined. Was there something one was impressed by the Spirit of God to do and it was not done? Perhaps it was to faithfully attend church, to be baptized, or to tell others about being saved. Whatever the commandment, it must be obeyed. God usually does not give further direction unless the original commandments are obeyed.
There does not need to be a spiritual famine in anyone’s life. The “famine” can easily be halted by making changes in one’s life. The first step is realizing there is something spiritually missing. Denial of our true spiritual condition will not result in any changes. Admit and seek the Lord’s direction in changing your situation — today!
A printable version of this lesson can be found at https://www.openthoumineeyes.com/bible-answers/Spiritual-famine.html.
Excellent Brother! Thank you.