“I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land; not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.” Amos 8:10-12
Today is Election Day in my country; even though many of you may have already cast your vote. I read an article recently that indicated that the UN was hopeful that Haiti could resume holding elections sometime in 2026. As I daily read news from the U.S. and Haiti, it seems that both of our countries, and many others around the world are experiencing a famine. Not the kind with images of cows with their hide draped over their ribs or humans with bloated stomachs and skin that stretches tight across hollow faces. The kind of famine that I sense is different but equally as tragic; spiritual famine. Amos wrote about it in the above verses. The famine that he wrote about wasn't about a lack of churches, Christian schools or Seminaries. He is telling us of a famine of hearing and reading the words of the LORD.
What is needed to eliminate this famine in our fallen world is a substantive intake of spiritual food every day. We need to come to His table and receive the life-transforming and nutritious truths from the Word of God. When you were doing your homework on the candidates in this election cycle, did you investigate to find a candidate who did not have tendencies leading to a spiritual famine? Stay in the Word, pray and seek God’s favor.
Heavenly Father, be with us and our nation on this election day and throughout the election process. Guide our actions, that good and faithful leaders may be raised up to serve our nation and communities justly. Protect our communities from acts of violence. Provide peace of mind to all who are anxious. Bring comfort to all who are stressed and hope to those who are fearful. Grant that your Holy and life-giving Spirit may move every human heart to be kind; that the barriers dividing our nation may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatred cease. Help us to put our trust in you and give us wisdom, strength, and courage to be living examples of your love, today and every day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay