More Than a Book

Scripture – Amos 8:11-14: 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. ¹²Men 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. ¹³“In that day “the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. ¹⁴They who swear by the shame of Samaria, or say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the god of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.”

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) For me, this is another powerful image from Amos. I find most often God’s punishment is no more than letting me live with the consequences of my sin. When I deliberately walk away from God’s direction, He lets me go. And I’m forced to deal with whatever I encounter in my own strength. Eventually I learn to return to Him. The Israelites had ignored God’s word. So now, they would find out what it’s like without it.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I take having a Bible available for granted. I have several different translations on hand. Whether at home or in the office, there’s always a Bible within easy reach. How would my life be impacted if those were gone? I will remember God’s word is holy. While the printed Bible is just a book, at the same time, it is a powerful channel of God’s living word, effective and active today.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, thank you for preserving and providing your written word. Remind me that it’s not just another book on the shelf. It contains your word for my life – your direction for your church. It’s not the printed book that’s holy, but your living word that shines through those printed pages.