10/21

Amos 8:11

¹¹"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land窶�-not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD."

As Amos prophesied about the destruction of Israel, God told the people that He had sent prophets who delivered God's Word, but they refused to hear them (Amos 2:11-12). The people longed for the Day of the LORD, but it would be darkness for them and not light (Amos 5:18-20). While thinking that God was still with them and going to exalt them, they worshiped foreign gods and cheated the poor. They had phrases from their past history with God's Word, but now used those phrases out of context, forgetting the true message of those words.

History is repeating itself. While many today long for the LORD's return, they forget that He is coming to judge the earth. They think they will be exalted in that day, but it will be a day of darkness and not light. They can quote little phrases from the Bible, but they don't know the context or message of the passage. The prophets have proclaimed the Word, but we, like Israel, have told them to be silent.

There is a famine for hearing the words of the LORD, not because so few are still faithfully proclaiming them, but because the people seek out teachers who will tickle their ears (2 Timothy 4:3). You are probably using this devotional because you want to know what the Bible teaches, not a nice little pat on the back to send you out for the day. If you have not done so already, find a church where the Scriptures are taught, where the teachers go through one book of the Bible at a time, leaving nothing out. Hear the whole counsel of God. Let the words change your thinking and way of life.

Consider: If you asked 100 people on the street about the most famous passage in the New Testament, John 3:16, how many do you think would be able to tell you the context of that chapter?