Articles
Is The Word In Jeopardy?
"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. People will 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 8:11-12
In the above verses, God, through the prophet Amos, was warning Israel of a time when there would be no word of prophecy. We know there have been times since the church was established, that there was little access to the written holy scripture, unlike today where we have ample access through numerous sources.
Could we experience such a famine again? There are several known facts that we need to consider. Our nation, in general, has lost their appetite for God's word. God has not only told us but demonstrated to us, that He will not force-feed anybody. And while I said "our nation" above, we really ought to think globally. We have at least two generations now, maybe three if you want to look at all the factors, that no longer feed on God's word. With the exception of a faithful few, their appetite is for humanism, materialism, and a basic health & wealth mentality.
We are taught in our society that the world revolves around us, and few still see God as the center of all things if they see Him at all. Because of that, worldly things take the place where God should be. Bible reading is rare, Bible study even more scarce. Bible understanding is hit and miss based on what people are looking for and who they are listening to. Some seek knowledge but not wisdom, some want to know about God but they fail to know God. There is actually a huge segment of our population now that believes we should count on the government to determine, and in many cases, provide all of our needs. It is obvious, God is not on that list of needs.
So what do we do? We are not to the point of famine in our country yet, but that might not be true of some countries in our world, so to think we are immune is foolish. Just a week or so ago, China ran off many deemed Christians and demolished their houses of worship. We need to prepare for famine in our land. We need to be telling everyone we know about our Father, His Son, and His Holy Spirit. We need to be storing up God's word, and we need to make sure it's the right word (not false teaching) just like we would need to store the right foods if a physical famine were approaching. This will require us to be very hungry for the word now, and remain hungry for the word if times get tougher. We absolutely can't depend on anyone else to do this for us.
In the book of Deuteronomy, Ch-11, Vs 18-21, we read, "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth..."
God was explaining the seriousness and level of commitment necessary to know and obey His commands. At some point, it may require drastic measures for us to preserve the word of God in our own country. Can we do that?
