This Present Famine

Behold, the days come, says 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. – Am 8:11

Recently, the country of Chile was in the news for a peculiar reason. It was experiencing severe water shortage because of – wait for it – “massive rainfall and flooding.”  I was confused at first; how could they be suffering from water shortage when they were literally swimming in it? Then I saw the news footage: dozens upon dozens of Chileans waiting in line, buckets and other assorted containers in hand, in front of a water tanker. Around them, flowing unimpeded, were small streams and rivulets - remnants of the flood. The waters were brown with mud, and laden with driftwood, house furniture, dead matter and sewage.

Truly, one can be surrounded by water and still be thirsty.

Chile’s picture is illustrative of the condition the church is in today. There is an abundance and glut of preaching but a scarcity of nutritious, wholesome spiritual food.

Moreover, in areas where we do find healthy nutrition, it’s mostly baby food: effete, canned, 'milk' teaching/preaching meant for spiritual babies alone.

The church is not a nursery, it’s a barrack. The church does not need overindulged, pampered spiritual babes; the church needs strong, well-armed and well-equipped soldiers of the Cross.

We need to get back to the Word.

Believers today cannot feed themselves. They subsist essentially from Pastor’s revelation. Even their Bible readings and prayer points have to be prescribed. Give an average Christian a book like Nahum and they’ll struggle to make head or tails out of it. They have no direct relationship with the Word.

While the whole of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, we’re busy running spiritual nurseries. In the book of Acts, a common deacon (Stephen) was arrested and his defence evinced a thorough familiarity with scripture that his detractors had to stop their ears! (Acts 7:57).

We need to end this present famine. And that means we need to get back to rigorous study and feeding on the Word.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN