The Last Word
A famine of
another kind
By Esther McDaniel
This world is full of suffering. As
Pat Reese brought out in her report on
Uganda, 2005 has been a year of major
disasters. 2006 has already begun with
severe famine over much of Africa, as
well as other nations. If you have stud-
ied Bible prophecy, you can surely see
the signs all around us that herald the
imminent approach of “the end,” when
Christ Jesus will return and take his
children home.
The prophet Daniel tells us, in Daniel
12:1, “There shall be a time of trouble,
such as never was since there was a nation
even to that same time: and at that time
thy people shall be delivered, every one
that shall be found written in the book.”
Matthew, chapter 24, also speaks of
this time. God’s Word is true. We can
count on it happening just as predicted.
But the question is: Are we ready? Is
God our “refuge and strength”? Is he
our “rock and our salvation”?
The prophet Amos tells of a time
when there will be a famine of the Word
of God. In Amos 8, verses 11 and 12, we
find that this famine will be severe. Peo-
ple will “wander from sea to sea, and
from the north even to the east, they
shall run to and fro to seek the word of
the
LORD
, and shall not find it.”
I am reminded of the story found in
Genesis chapters 41 to 47, where Pha-
raoh had two dreams about a famine to
come. God gave to Joseph, a Hebrew
slave, the interpretation of the dreams
and Joseph explained to Pharaoh that
God had revealed his intent to send
seven years of plenty that were to be fol-
lowed by seven years of famine.
Joseph suggested to Pharaoh that dur-
ing those seven years of plenty, it would be
prudent to gather as much grain into store-
houses as possible against the coming
years of famine. Pharaoh appointed Joseph
to oversee the work and God used this ter-
rible disaster to unite faithful Joseph with
his family, from whom he had been sepa-
rated for many years. It is a fascinating
story that deserves careful study.
Today, we have our Bibles. Many of
us have several of them on our shelves,
of one version or another, but are we
reading them? Are we studying to know
what God has revealed about the things
that are coming on this earth? Are we
studying to truly know God and the pro-
vision he has made for our salvation
through his son Jesus, the Christ?
As in the days of Pharaoh and Jo-
seph, we have been warned that a fam-
ine is coming. What are we doing with
the precious “grain” during these years
of plenty? Are we letting it gather dust
on our shelves or are we storing it up in
our hearts against the time of famine
that is sure to come?
A famine of the Word of God is
positively the most horrible of famines.
Every form of evil will surely be un-
leashed during such a time. Will our
families have stores of spiritual “grain”
from which to feed? Please let it be so.
?
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