A Famine for the Word of the Lord

Text: Amos 8

Introduction: When God Is Silent

Open your Bibles to Amos chapter 8. This morning we consider how God communicates His essential messages—love, forgiveness, encouragement to grow, and approval—and how those messages call us to respond with faith and commitment.

There have been times when people have not heard from God at all—not because the gospel was unclear, but because God chose to be silent. A prime example is the 400 years of silence between Malachi and Matthew. Because of human hardness of heart, God withheld His word until He spoke again through the events surrounding the birth of John the Baptist.

In 1 Samuel 3:1, we read that the boy Samuel ministered before Eli, and “the word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were infrequent.” God has not always spoken at every moment in history.

Then we come to Amos 8:11–12:

“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.
People will stagger from sea to sea
And from north to east;
They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord,
But they will not find it.”

Imagine a time when God’s people would starve for His word—not for food or water, but for hearing from God. In the New Testament, God’s word is called the bread of life and the living water. If we eat this bread and drink this water, we will not hunger or thirst again. Yet Amos warns of a time when people would desperately seek God’s word and not find it.

We Know What It Is to Miss God’s Word

We have not experienced that kind of famine. Today, we carry the Bible in our pockets. We can open a phone or a computer and read God’s word anytime. The Holy Spirit has given us the completed revelation in 66 books.

But imagine if every Bible—printed, digital, recorded—were suddenly gone. No access at all. At first, some might not notice. But eventually, we would ache for it.

We caught a glimpse of that hunger during the pandemic, when we could not gather. At first, it was manageable. But after weeks and months, many of us were starving and thirsty for fellowship, worship, and the word of God. We did whatever we had to do to come back together.

That is the kind of longing Amos describes.

So today, let’s focus on some of the words we need to hear from God—words we may think we hear often, but still need to be reminded of.

1. “I Love You”

The Bible says in John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Three simple words: “I love you.” Not “I like you.” Not “I enjoy your company.” But “I love you.”

In Ephesians 2:4–5, Paul explains what that love means:

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

This is undeserved love—love given when we were spiritually dead. God did not wait for us to improve ourselves. He made us alive together with Christ.

And in Romans 5:8:

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Notice this: God does not merely say He loves us—He demonstrates it. True love costs something. It cost God His Son.

Jesus reminds us in Luke 12:7 that God knows the number of hairs on our heads. That means His love is not impersonal—it is deeply personal. When God says, “I love you,” He means you.

2. “I Forgive You”

Another phrase we need to hear from God is “I forgive you.”

1 John 1:9 says:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God’s forgiveness is not just words—it is action. He forgives and He cleanses.

The psalmist tells us that God removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. In Micah 7:18, we read:

“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love.”

God delights in mercy. Humans often delight in revenge, bitterness, and anger—but God delights in forgiveness.

I need to hear that my past is not held over my head—that in Christ, it is truly gone.

3. “You Can Do Better”

We also need to hear God say, “You can do better.”

In 2 Corinthians 12:10, Paul says:

“When I am weak, then I am strong.”

Your imperfect life is the perfect soil for God to show His strength and grace. But that does not mean God wants us to stay stagnant.

Stagnant water attracts mosquitoes and maggots—and stagnant Christians attract the devil.

In John 8:11, Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery:

“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

Jesus forgave her—but He also called her to change.

In Hebrews 5:12, the writer rebukes Christians who should have been teachers by now but still needed the basics. In 1 Corinthians 3:1–2, Paul says he had to feed them milk because they were not ready for solid food.

The message is clear: You can do better. You must grow.

4. “Well Done”

Two of the most powerful words we long to hear: “Well done.”

In the parable of the talents, the master says:

“Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your master.”

Even in Mark 7:37, after Jesus healed the mute man, people said:

“He has done all things well.”

We all long for approval and acceptance—and God promises that faithful service will not go unnoticed.

What God Needs to Hear From Us

So we have heard what we need from God:

• “I love you.”
• “I forgive you.”
• “You can do better.”
• “Well done.”

But what does God need to hear from us?

If you are a Christian who has wandered, He needs to hear:
“I’m sorry. I have sinned. Forgive me.”

If you are not a Christian, He needs to hear:
“I believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God.”

And He needs to see obedience—being baptized for the remission of sins, just as 3,000 souls did in Acts 2.

The Final Day

One day, God will open the Lamb’s Book of Life. He will either say:

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into eternal rest.”

Or:

“Depart from Me… into eternal punishment.”

There is one thing I want to hear: “Well done.”

Even if there were no heaven at the end, I would still choose the Christian life. It gives me a better life, better people, and a better hope.

But thank God—there is something at the end.

May we hunger for His word, grow in His grace, and live so that one day we will hear:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

::truth Truth: God is faithful.

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::truth Truth: God is faithful.

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