Famine

January 16, 2025

From Pastor Eileen States

Famine. This week in my Bible reading I have pondered over the word famine. We often think of food shortages when we think of famine. We read earlier this month about the famine in the land that caused Abraham to first go to Egypt. We then saw that narrative revisited in this week's reading of the story of Joseph. God revealed Himself by orchestrating His will, even through deeds intended for evil, in order to bring about the saving of many lives. I also saw God show up by giving a dream to Pharaoh in order to provide food for the years of famine soon to come. 

As we continue our Bible readings this year, we will encounter many more famines throughout the Old Testament, where the hand of God shows up in order to provide teaching, correction and ultimately food to sustain His people.  

The prophet Amos was given a message by God using the analogy of famine in a spiritual way. Listen to what God said through Amos:

“Look! The days are coming,”

    declares the Lord God,

“when I will send a famine throughout the land—

    not a famine of food or a thirst for water—

        but rather a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.

So come with me as my musings of famine took me into the New Testament to begin reading the Gospel of Mark. Before John the Baptist and Jesus showed up on the scene, there had been nearly 400 years of silence from God. No prophet had shared a message from God for 400 years! Talk about a famine of hearing the words of the LORD! The people were spiritually starving for a message from God.

Mark shares not one but two stories of large gatherings of thousands of people spending all day just listening to the words of Jesus. Oh to have been there that day, listening to His stories and teachings and then to watch Jesus perform the miracle of providing physical food for that many people. What a day that must have been for those crowds! If I had been there to witness all of that, what would I have been thinking as I traveled home? What stories would I have shared with my friends and family?

Where do I see famine in my life? What are my takeaways from God’s word this week that will give me strength for the journey I am on in 2025? Your answers will be different from mine. I encourage you to let God speak life into you as you immerse yourselves into His “living and active word” (Hebrews 4:12) Let His word change you and give you peace and direction for each new day. 

Blessings for the journey,

Pastor Eileen