Famine of the Word

1 Kings 17:1 ELIJAH THE Tishbite, of the temporary residents of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before Whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years but according to My word.

The Lord opened my eyes to such a mystery a few days ago. He said that every preacher, every child of God with a mandate has the ability to cause a famine of the Word of God. In Elijah’s story, it was mere drought, but God desires us to read between the lines. It began with the disappearance of water through rain, then the famine followed months later…

Amos 8:11-13 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord. And [the people] shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord [inquiring for and requiring it as one requires food], but shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

What this basically means is, a preacher or teacher of the word must have the ability to stir up hunger in any individual’s soul once they listen to him or her for the very first time. Now God won’t desire to whet appetites of his own children only to leave them hanging.

He went on to say, that just like Elijah caused a famine in the land, he as well was able to meet the needs that arose during the famine, and better yet, to end the famine altogether! The preacher must stir the hunger, but (s)he must as well feed the lips of those that are victims of that famine.

However, shortly before he or she can meet the famine in others, he or she must deal with the famine on their inside.

1 Kings 17:2-4 And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. You shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.

Elijah’s side of the famine is seen being met by a brook and ravens bringing bread and meat from Heaven. But soon the brook which provided him with water dried! Remember there was no rain—a consequence of his own action!

But, if the bread & meat is to constitute for the Word or Jesus, then I believe the water is the Holy Spirit. Now, to avoid this reoccurrence, God tells us that we’d have rivers of living waters flowing out of our bellies! These can’t dry up! As the famine wrecks havoc on the outside, you, child of God, are supposed to be saturated from within.

In fact, it’s this water that must overflow from your cup to the without to be served spiritually alongside the bread of life (the Word) that you’re serving men and women via the pulpit God has stationed you at!

In 1 Kings 17:14 Elijah says, ‘…thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day [that] the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.’

This was with the widow of Zarephath. God was revealing to us how we could cause the famine and yet satisfy the hungry. The first of course is a covenant issue, and an understanding of who one really is in Him. The latter, He said, is met by the tongue of the learned! Even to whet hunger, and yet meet it, the element of the learned tongue can’t be over looked!

Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to [him who is] weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.

Elijah knew how to speak to all those suffering from the famine. Jesus Himself stirred the hunger in thousands. And yet, He still met every ounce of hunger and thirst in each man and woman’s heart by what He spoke. It was in season for each one at that very moment, and just as the hunger He created at first, He quenched it at last. But there’s that everlasting hunger that kept men coming back again and again to listen to Jesus.

Though daily bread He gave them, like how man eats food daily, it didn’t get rid of the fact that a man had to eat again the following day. In this setting, I speak of God’s word.

1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees (to pray),

1 Kings 18:45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain…

Eventually, Elijah caused to cease the very famine he had begun, by opening up the heavens again, manifesting and giving us evidence of one’s ability to stir up a hunger for God, in a school, a home, a country, a continent or the entire world!

Yes, the entire country was facing famine when Elijah decreed. It didn’t matter whether one was worshipping another god or God Almighty. It didn’t matter whether one was rich or poor! Famine hit them ALL.

When the famine came in Joseph’s time, the whole world was a victim! Africa, Asia, America & Europe! They all were! And it was Joseph’s dream interpretation that must have saved all men alive then. His learned tongue enabled him to speak the word in due season, creating a gateway to feed millions!

The famine can be global, making men of all cultures & color to want the word of this God that you serve as they watch you preach it on online platforms & TV!

But as I’ve already mentioned, we have the privilege & unction to be sources of rivers of living waters enabling us to meet this thirst of famine on a daily! These rivers can’t and won’t dry up! 😁

On that account, spread the famine!

And while at it, don’t forget to quench the thirst & meet the hunger that comes with it!

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John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Zechariah 8:23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men out of all languages of the nations shall take hold of the robe of him who is a Jew (You in this case), saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

[Brackets mine]