30 Days in the Bible, Day 30: Amos 8:9-13

Our 30 day journey comes to an end with today’s devotional. I don’t think there was a better passage to end with than this one from Amos. In some ways, there is a famine for the Word of God even in churches today. Some churches have ceased preaching the gospel and moved on to a more political or societal message. Others only preach the parts of the Bible that fits what they or their members want to hear, ignoring large sections of the Word. Still others preach the Bible from the pulpit, but in such a way that it makes no impact in the lives of those in the church (and, worse, on those outside the church.)

God chose to give us a special revelation in the Bible that goes beyond what we can learn about Him through nature or conscience. The Bible isn’t just a collection of writings of people who came up with the best religious ideas they could manage. It is God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit and having the authority of the Almighty God behind it.

In our part of the world today, we have been blessed with unsurpassed access to the Word. Sadly, many Christians have multiple Bibles on their bookshelves, computers, and cell phones, but they seldom (or never) actually read, study, meditate on, and memorize those Bibles. They treat the Bible as a talisman, or even an idol, whose presence means blessing even if it’s never used to hear God speak.

In some eras of the church, the Bible was only available chained to a table in the church building, or perhaps only available when the authorized priest or minister read from it. Some Christians today act as if that is still the case, only taking in the Word when they hear it on Sunday. God never intended His Word to be limited to just a professional spiritual elite, who could then dole it out to the rest of the people. The Word of God was meant for all to hear and understand.

So as we finish our journey, I want to encourage you to take advantage of the feast you have. The time may come when we, like many of our brothers and sisters throughout the world and throughout history, face a famine, and will have to struggle to access the Word. Until that time, let’s not impose a famine on ourselves by neglect of the Bible, God’s revelation to us. Continue to be in the Word, and the Word will soon be in you.