A Famine In The Land

A Famine In The Land                      September 13, 2026

The prophet Amos tells the Israelites that a time is coming where He would send a famine on the land.  This would not be a famine of bread and water but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11).

Our Heavenly Father has historically chosen to speak to His people in diverse ways:

● Direct Speech: God spoke directly with divine speech to certain key men, like Moses and Samuel. Exodus 33:11 notes that God spoke to Moses “face to face as a friend,” while 1 Samuel 3 records God speaking to the boy Samuel about the impending judgment on Eli’s house.
● Dreams and Visions: He also spoke to men through dreams and visions. Daniel in Daniel 7:1, Joseph in Genesis 37:5 and the apostle Peter in Acts 10:10-11 are examples of this.
● Prophets: God raised up prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah and Amos to deliver His specific messages, warnings, and promises directly to the Israelites (Deuteronomy 18:18, Jeremiah 7:25, Hebrews 1:1).
● His Son: God sent His Son Jesus to this world and He was the Word which became flesh in order to proclaim the Good News (John 1:14).
● His Inspired Word: Today God speaks to us through his Holy Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17; Hebrews 4:12).

Tragically, God’s people have a history of rejecting the hearing of His word.  Acts 7:35 tells us Moses was rejected.  II Chronicles 36:15–16 tells us the words of the prophets were despised, and Christ Himself was rejected as seen in John 1:11, “He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him.”  Amos tells Israel they had ignored, silenced, and rejected God’s prophets (Amos 2:12; 7:12–13).  He further explains in Amos 8:11 the ironic consequence of their behavior – since they refused to listen to God’s voice when it was offered, God would withdraw His word completely. People would wander “from sea to sea” seeking divine guidance, only to find silence.

Today scripture is probably more accessible than at any other point in human history.  Many of us have access to printed Bibles, digital Bibles, various translations, podcasts, commentaries, radio TV and internet broadcasting. With all this it is hard to imagine we could have a famine of hearing the word of the Lord today.  Even with this incredible access to God’s Holy word, we need to guard ourselves against a famine of not hearing, receiving and obeying God’s Word.  If we choose to not hear, receive and obey God’s word, His word will be unable to change us into the principled and faithful servants He expects us to be.

Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 we need to be diligently study the scriptures daily, recognizing  that God’s word is inspired, complete and fully capable of equipping us for every good work (II Timothy 3:16-17).  As we reflect on the silence the Israelites brought upon themselves, let us remain diligent and faithful, allowing God’s living Word to transform us into the people He has called us to be.

Kevin Pickles