Amos 8:11-13, “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. Men 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. “In that day” the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst”
Isn’t it amazing the magnitude of this famine? The Scriptures point out that even the lovely young women and strong young men would be affected by it. Young people are known for their strength. In Proverbs 31:3 King Lemuel’s mother gave him an oracle she said to him: “do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings” Now even though this was a warning against sensual lust, the fact still remains that this king’s mother was warning this young man not to allow his inner strength of character or virtue to be drained by an outside force. 1John 2:14 reads “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one”. The young were characterized by being strong, and having the Word of God living within them, and therefore overcoming the evil one. But, if there is a famine of the Word of God, not even the young will stand based on their youth alone. These need the Word of God flowing through their very veins! Just as one gets vaccinations and booster shots to keep up with their immunizations so does one need to be vaccinated by the Word of God, and have daily booster shots of daily time reading, memorizing, and mediating on it.
Illustration – Water or Money? If you were offered a handful of $1,000 bills or a glass of cool water, which would you choose? The $1,000 bills of course-anyone in his right mind would. However, if you were crawling through a desert, dying of thirst, and you were offered a glass of water or a handful of $1,000 bills, which would you take? The water of course-anyone in his right mind would. That’s called “circumstantial priorities”. Your priorities change according to your circumstances. If there were a way to find everlasting life, would you want to know about it? The answer is “yes”, of course-anyone in his right mind would. What the Bible contains may surprise you. The Scriptures speak of riches beyond our wildest dreams-the “riches” of everlasting life-and they are offered in the form of cool, clear water: “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). At the moment, you may not be interested in the offer, but on Judgment Day your circumstances will radically change. Then it will be too late.
The church must realize the preciousness of the Word of God. We must obey and honor it, because it points to the source of life. Look at our society that tries to keep God’s Word out of our institutions, government, and judiciary system. Without God’s Word you have no choice but to spiritually die.
Application: Are you spiritually eating or starving? You can only live so long on a verse here and there; eventually Satan will easily steal, kill, and destroy you. Be on guard, and lift daily the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to fight for God against the schemes of the enemy. Blessings, Pastor Phil
He Has Magnified His Word 