Text: Genesis 26:1 – 3
Memory verse:
“Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.”
I Samuel 3:1 NKJV
Do you know that there are poor and homeless people in America? Some people just believe that once they get out of the country where they are, things will begin to work for them. No, negative attitude that didn’t produce results where you are will never produce results elsewhere.
Now, what do you do during the time of spiritual famine? In the midst of severe famine in the land, God told Isaac not to go down to Egypt but to remain in the land. That’s serious, isn’t it? The natural tendency for every man in such a case is to ‘japa’, that is, relocate. It will take a spiritual man to receive such message as coming from God.
Let’s see a similar case. In Ruth 1, when there was scarcity of bread in Bethlehem, the land of bread, Elimelech and Naomi, moved out with their two sons, to dwell in the land of Moab. That decision costed him his life and that of his two sons. Later, the Lord visited the land of Bethlehem and bread was restored. On hearing this, Naomi, who had lost everything, returned with Ruth, her daughter-in-law. Wrong decision worsened their lives.
Similarly, rash decision to relocate from where you are to a more attractive place may take you backward rather than forward. Some quickly put blame on the church as the cause of their spiritual famine. You hear people saying, “No more word there; not as usual”. As true as this seems, it is not often so. For example, Samuel, continued to experience open heaven of revelation while under Eli, the high priest, whose heaven of revelation had been shut (1 Sam 3:1-4). Some even blame the church members. No, spiritual famine requires that you look inward. Most often, the problem is with you and not with a place or with others. For example, your temperament may cause you trouble with people, leaves you bitter and eventually cause you spiritual famine (Matt 6:15). Negative attitude towards the word of God may cause God to turn deaf ears to your prayer (Prov 28:9). Lateness to church, financial and marital unfaithfulness, unrepentance, stubbornness, rebellion to constituted authorities and the likes can trigger spiritual famine.
Friends, in times of spiritual famine, look inward and don’t follow the crowd. May you never take a decision that will worsen your situation or cost you eternity in Jesus name.
Prayer points
1. Father, please, deliver me from self-deceit and help me to always examine myself in the light of Your word in Jesus name.
2. Father, please, let me never act rashly or take a decision that will take me backward and cost me eternity in Jesus name.
Today’s declarations
1. Regular self examination through the light of God’s word will deliver me from spiritual famine.
2. My source is God and not a place or people, so I don’t move out of my place because of any.
Contact: pastor@thf.org.ng