My oldest daughter is getting married in four weeks. I want to lose five pounds. 
That should be easy enough. It’s only 1 ¼ pounds a week. I only need to burn off 4,000 more calories a week than I consume. But things will come up; I’ll keep putting it off. For instance, there is a bridal tea and wedding shower to attend this weekend. Umm, there will probably be cake. Next week it will be something else and before you know it I’ll have four days left instead of four weeks.
Obviously, I’ve always had plenty of food. I’ve never experienced physical famine. But millions of people all over the world will face it today. Millions are starving for lack of food. We see their bloated bellies and rail-thin limbs on our TV screens every day.
Recently I’ve been going through the Minor Prophets in my daily Bible reading. There is a verse in Amos about famine that has been haunting me.
“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12
The signs of physical malnutrition and starvation are obvious. And even though I’m more than well fed, I can’t skip one meal without my stomach protesting loudly. But what about spiritual starvation? Would we notice or even care if we never again ingested the Word of God? Are we, right now, in the midst of a famine of the words of the LORD? How can we tell?
On a national level I think it’s pretty obvious. Prayer has been kicked out of our schools. The Ten Commandments have been removed from public buildings. Oh yeah, and just recently our President proudly declared that the United States of America is no longer a Christian nation. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad that the USA is a haven for people from every nation. But Jesus Christ died for every culture, tribe, and tongue.
Yes, even with all her religion, our country is spiritually starving. But what about me? On the occasional day when I’m “too busy” to spend time with God I don’t really think about the toll this spiritual fast takes on my soul. Funny, I can skip time with God relatively easily, but skipping a meal is a real hardship.
What about you? Are you spiritually well-nourished? Do you have a regular, healthy intake of God’s Word? Does your soul regularly feast on the Bread of Life? The Living Water? Or are you spiritually starving?
There is no spiritual substitute for spending time with God. As we read His Word, interact with Him in prayer, and respond to Him in obedience, God will supernaturally sustain our souls. Are you starving today? Pull up a chair. God has saved a spot at the table for you.
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