When most people think of the word famine, they think of what the Bible calls a “famine of bread.” That’s a famine caused by a scarcity of rain, which results in a meager production of crops and, therefore, food.
But today, I want to talk to you about other types of famine…famines that could be taking place in your own heart and life.
Perhaps you’re experiencing a kind of famine that Amos 8:11 calls a “famine of…hearing the words of the Lord.” Maybe it’s been a long time since you’ve heard the Holy Spirit whisper to your heart.
It could be today that you’re experiencing a famine of love in your marriage. Perhaps you’ve gotten to the point in your marriage where you’re just going through the motions. There’s no spark, there’s no true intimacy, and there truly is a famine of love.
Perhaps you’re experiencing a famine of friendship. Or you could be experiencing a famine of peace, as it’s been a long time since you’ve truly had a season where God’s peace has been a tangible presence in your life.
Regardless of what kind of famine you may be experiencing today, did you know that God isn’t surprised by what you’re going through? Your present famine, whatever kind it might be, has not caught God off guard. He knows about the lack in your life…and He cares.
And what’s more, just because you’re experiencing a famine doesn’t mean that God is mad at you or that He doesn’t love you. Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine (emphasis added), or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Verse 37 goes on to say, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” And I will add, “and continues to love us”!
Plenty of good men and good women throughout the Scriptures went through times of famine. Just because there is a famine in some area of your life is no sign that God is displeased with you. So you need to throw away the thought that God is angry with you or that somehow He has withdrawn His love. Friend, no, He has not!
In fact, here are some famine promises for you today:
- Psalm 33:18-19—Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” Your famine may have caused you to feel like you’re going to die, but you won’t. God promises to keep you alive in famine. That’s a good promise, but it gets better!
- Psalm 37:18-19—The LORD knows the days of the upright, and their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. So not only does God promise to keep you alive during times of famine, He says He’ll even satisfy you during times of famine. And it gets better still!
- Job 5:22—You shall laugh at destruction and famine.” So we go from a promise of God saying, “I’ll keep you alive in famine,” to “I’ll satisfy you in famine,” to where you have such a deep confidence in God that you can look at your famine and laugh and say, “You think you’re going to have the upper hand? No, God is going to take care of me. Mr. Famine, I can laugh at you!”
So today, are you experiencing a famine of hearing the words of God…a famine of love in your marriage…a famine of friendship…a famine of peace…or another kind of famine? If so, remember that God isn’t surprised by what you’re going through. And in His Word He promises to sustain you, satisfy you, and even give you such a deep confidence that you can laugh in the face of the famine you may be facing.
