How excellent is Your Name O Lord! We are grateful to You for Your kindness, peace, provision, protection and love towards us. Ancient of days, You are our Rock and Refuge. No one can be compared with You. You are all together Worthy, all together Loving, all together Wonderful to us.
Yesterday, we saw how prophet Jeremiah rejoiced at God words and we were enjoined to do same. When you are devoid of the God’s Word, a lot of unpalatable things happen. We will be considering spiritual famine as one of the ills experienced when a child of God does not feed regularly on the Word of God.
Hear this! The days are coming—
[this is] the declaration of the Lord God—
when I will send a famine through the land:
not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.—Amos 8:11
One way God communicates is through silence. The Israelites blatantly ignored and rejected God’s word to them, and God responded by sending a famine. This famine was far more severe than a shortage of food and water. Instead, they were deprived of His words of life.
God’s silence may be hardly noticeable at first. You may still remember times when God spoke to you, but you gradually realize you’ve not heard His voice for a long time. If you realize you are in a “drought,” immediately seek God and ask Him what adjustments your life requires so you can once again enjoy fellowship with Him.
It may be that you disobeyed His last instructions to you and that He is waiting on your obedience before giving you a new direction. It may be that there is unconfessed sin in your life or that you have a damaged relationship (Isa. 1:15; 1 Pet. 3:7). It is possible that you have done too much talking in your prayer times and that He wants you to listen. God’s silences can be powerful times for Him to communicate with you.
God is God! Because He is God, when He speaks He expects a listening ear and an eager response. He will not be mocked! (Gal. 6:7). When we ignore Him, He may withhold His voice until we repent and get right with Him. The prophet Isaiah assured King Asa, “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”
God forbid that He will forsake us. In the course of this work, I have come across people who claimed that they have little or no time as one reason among others while they don’t study or read their bible. Remember Apostle Paul told us to labour for those things which are internal. If I may ask what are you building your house with, straw, wood, stone silver or gold? Will it stand the refining test at the judgment day? You see, they are ways that seems right but the end thereof is death. Consider more:
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it is the way of death.—Proverbs 16:25
Things are not always what they seem. Proverbs warns that we can be deceived into believing we are going down the right path and yet be heading toward death, the opposite direction from God’s will.
People do not naturally seek God or pursue righteousness (Rom. 3:10–18). Only as the Spirit awakens our hearts to the Person of Christ are we able to desire God’s will. If we make decisions apart from the guidance of the Spirit of God, we will be like a ship trying to sail without a compass.
We will do what makes the most sense, based on our own wisdom. But what looks attractive may actually lead to sin, ultimately destroying what is precious to us, for our most profound human thinking is mere foolishness to God (1 Cor. 1:18–20). Only God knows the way that leads to life and He wants to lead us to walk in it (Matt. 7:13–14).
Don’t assume every opportunity that arises is from God. Satan will disguise himself as an “angel of light,” and his invitations will seem to be in your best interest (2 Cor. 11:14). Yet his way leads only to death (John 8:44). The word of God will be like a light to your path, guiding you in the ways of righteousness (Ps. 119:105).
It can be perilous to follow a path that seems right without first consulting the Holy Spirit for guidance (John 16:13). Take time to seek the Holy Spirit’s direction when you face decisions. He knows the full ramifications of your choices.
Are you taking a decision to read your bible going forward? The Holy Spirit will assist you to understand truth and to experience abundant life. Trust Him as He leads you.
Consider this formula – Just 45 minutes of your time daily. 15 minutes to ready and study the bible, 15 minutes to mediate and pray, 15 minutes to tell someone about Christ, all in 45 minutes per day. A sister shared this formula with us at Sunday school. Just ask the Holy Spirit to help you and sure He will.
Remain blessed in the Lord.
