Is the Word of God Precious to You?
Amos 8:11, "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."
Much of what is prophesied by the prophets speak of God's judgment of the people culminating in captivity. The ten Northern tribes were ultimately conquered by the Assyrians, and the southern tribes were conquered by the Babylonians. The devastation left in these situations is almost unimaginable. The scarcity of food and water was often a reality.
A more serious famine is spoken of in our text than that of food and water, both of which are necessary in life, and that is a famine in hearing the Word of God. The priest Amaziah, who functioned in his priestly office in Beth-el during the reign of Jeroboam, didn't want Amos to prophesy any longer in Israel. Amos 7:13, "But prophesy not again any more at Beth-el: for it is the king's chapel, and it is the king's court." One would think, of all the people in Israel, that a priest would delight in the prophesying of a prophet of God. But hurting someone’s feelings, or something is said that they didn't want to hear was more important than hearing the truth. There was a famine in the land in hearing the words of the LORD, there was a period of 400 silent years between the Old and the New Testaments.
May we view God's Word as precious, valuable, and necessary. May the living and powerful Word of God be something we study and reflect in our lives every day. The Bible is the most precious thing we have on earth!
Your Friend and HIS,
Pastor Abbott
MEDITATIONS
1. How do you interact with the Word of God?
2. Is your interaction with God confined to church, or do you read and study the Bible every day?
3. Do you long to hear the Word of God no matter the content?
4. Why is it so hard for us to accept those Scripture portions that speak specifically about our sins?