Wednesday, December 7

Amos 8:1-14

Psalms 38, 119:25-48

Revelations 1:17-2:7

Matthew 23:1-12

I often have a hard time relating at a personal level to Old Testament calls to repent, and return to God to avoid a severe judgment.  But when I read the scripture from Amos, I was struck by verse 8:11:

 “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.

I started thinking of that feeling of being ignored, and how consuming it can be to want a response, an answer, an acknowledgement from someone, and all you get is nothing.

I find myself falling into this trap on occasion, usually due to my email habits.  I send a lot of emails -- everyday, for both my job, and for church.  And it can, occasionally, turn into a self-imposed game of the silent treatment.  Wondering when I will hear back to my burning question.  Checking frequently for a new message.  I’m HERE.  ANSWER ME.  ITS NOT THE WIND YOU HEAR!!

But what if it were God I was waiting to hear back from?  And God wasn’t answering?  I can’t imagine feeling that way, although I am sure God feels that way about me many times.  Wondering when I am ever going to get around to talking to him.  And when I do, God is always there.

And then I realized, I got it all wrong.  It is a famine of “hearing” the words of the Lord.  That is a little different than a famine of the Lord “speaking.”  Hearing is what I am supposed to do.  If I stop hearing, it is not God’s fault but mine, and I must say I can be rather deaf at times.

So now, I have to acknowledge all those feelings of being ignored, of being anxious to receive a response, all those cries of ANSWER ME, were not warnings from God about how I might feel, but an explanation of how I was making God feel, when I forget, or refused to hear.  So it wasn’t just a message for the Israelites after all,  I needed to hear it too.  I have.

In closing, I realize my devotional falls on Pearl Harbor day, the 70th anniversary actually, so I wanted to add a simple prayer:

Dear God, We remember today and are grateful for the brave men, women, and families, that served with great courage and made personal sacrifices, for the future of our country.  May all those who serve our country and those who love them, feel the blessing of Jesus Christ this day and always. Amen.

Melonye Suarez