Imagine that you are thirsty, your throat is parched, and your lips are brittle and bleeding. In fact, you are dying of thirst. You are surrounded by jars of fresh water, but you do not realize that water will quench your thirst and save your life. So you gorge yourself on salty pretzels and peanuts, hoping that they will satisfy. Sounds crazy doesn’t it, but that is how I envision Amos 8:11-12, if we apply it to today.
Amos 8:11-12
11 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of the Lord.
12 “People will stagger from sea to sea
And from the north even to the east;
They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord,
But they will not find it. NASU
This is a terrifying passage. The rebellion of his people will cause God to take away the prophets who could deliver his word. Then the people will desperately seek the word of the Lord after it is too late. Today we are surrounded by Bibles, the word of God, yet so many seek peace and security in things that do not satisfy for long. It is like dying of thirst while life-saving water is nearby. My prayer is that God will grant all of us the understanding that the message of the Bible directs us to Jesus Christ. If we learn and practice Jesus’ ways of living, we can find the satisfaction that our souls crave.