“The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11
When the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, grocery shelves became bare and even staples like milk, bread, and toilet tissue were sometimes hard to find. Most of us in the United States understood for the first time the experiential fear of the word famine.
But can you imagine a famine of the Word of God?
It’s hard to envision not being able to access God’s Word when I look around at the hard copies of several translations at my fingertips. And that doesn’t include the access I have to online versions and Bible apps.
God has blessed our church with faithful preaching of His Word Sunday after Sunday, not to mention Sunday school classes and Bible studies. Plus, in the United States, we have a plethora of Bible resources available online. But as the economy has taken its toll this year, forcing many churches and ministries to shut their doors, it’s not as hard to imagine that we could experience in our own land the famine of the Word that is experienced around the world.
Additionally, as a speaker reminded me years ago commenting on this verse, sometimes people don’t starve because of lack of food, but lack of appetite. Loss of appetite is a symptom that a person is not well. When I’m not hungry for God’s Word, I need His help. His grace enables us echo Jeremiah’s words:
When I discovered Your Words, I devoured them. They became to me my joy and my heart’s delight for I bear Your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Jeremiah 15:16 NLT
2020 has been a year not just of a global pandemic, but of national unrest as we have seen our country more and more divided. If you’ve seen either of the American Gospel documentaries, you know that our country is filled with people who call themselves Christians while denying the Gospel of salvation through Christ alone and Christ crucified.
If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3 ESV
So often we are faced with questions, wishing we knew what to do. If only we had God’s wisdom for a given situation. If we could just hear His voice and know for sure it was Him.
As pastor Alistair Begg said, “The Bible is so helpful if we just read it.”
When we read God’s Word, God Himself is speaking to us.
Listen to what God says about His Word and wisdom.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man (or woman!) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
“For no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Spirit spoke from God.” 2 Peter 1:20-21
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach. But he must ask in faith, without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sewn in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sewer and bread for the eater, so is My Word that proceeds from my mouth. It will not return to me empty bit will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11
“Does not My Word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29
“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Acts 17:11
“The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God lasts forever.” Isaiah 40:8
And that is just a sampling of what God says about His Word and wisdom.
God tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 “Man’s heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.”
Hal Farnsworth often asks, “If you were deceived, would you know it?” Isn’t it the very nature of deception that we don’t realize it? We are so convinced we know what’s true.
In a day where so many truth claims conflict, how desperately we need a plumb line—a reference point to test things we hear.
How we need to take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5.
What better time than now to read His Word and meditate on it daily?
SOAP Yourself in the One Year Bible for Women
“The Bible is so helpful if we just read it, you know.” Alistair Begg
SOAP is an acronym that stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer.
Scripture.
If you’ve always wanted to read through the Bible, maybe this is the year to do that. If that feels like too much, you can choose to just read the Psalms and Proverbs, or just the New Testament, just the Old Testament. What you choose to read is entirely up to you!
Each day as you read, begin by asking God to speak to you. The Bible is filled with prayers you can use like, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your Word,” from Psalm 119:18.
As you read, ask Him to lead you to the Scripture He wants you to meditate on more deeply, then write it down. Writing the verse or passage down will engage your mind and help you to process it at a deeper level.
Observation
Write down some of your observations. What does this Scripture teach you about God or yourself? How does it point you to Christ? Where is the grace in the passage? Think about the author, the audience, the kind of literature, the context. Look for repeated words and themes. Can you think of other places in the Bible where the same ideas are repeated? A good rule of thumb is to use Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Application
How can you personally apply what you’ve learned? How does the Gospel help you apply it and not be defeated?
Prayer
Turn these thoughts into prayer. Ask the Lord to show you how you can apply what you’re seeing.