FAMINE OF HEARING GOD'S WORD
12 FOR THOUGH BY THIS TIME YOU OUGHT TO BE TEACHERS, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; AND YOU HAVE COME TO NEED MILK AND NOT SOLID FOOD.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14 BUT SOLID FOOD BELONGS TO THOSE WHO ARE OF FULL AGE, THAT IS, THOSE WHO BY REASON OF USE HAVE THEIR SENSES EXERCISED TO DISCERN BOTH GOOD AND EVIL.”
Hebrews 5:12-14 (NKJV)
If someone, a supposed believer, is not walking in obedience, that is, in the light of the word of God that he knows or receives; God will not be able to do much in the person’s life.
Disobedience, indifference to the Word of God, numbs God’s ability and power—He cannot work or do anything where His Word is not given credibility.
If you are hearing God's Word and you refused to practice it, it means you are wasting His investment on your life (Luke 13:7).
If someone or a group of people are wasting His grace, ability or enablement, that is, spiritual resources which He has made available to them; He will allow such a person or people to suffer for it:
22 BECAUSE ALL THESE MEN WHO HAVE SEEN MY GLORY AND THE SIGNS WHICH I DID IN EGYPT AND IN THE WILDERNESS, AND HAVE PUT ME TO THE TEST NOW THESE TEN TIMES, AND HAVE NOT HEEDED MY VOICE, 23 THEY CERTAINLY SHALL NOT SEE THE LAND OF WHICH I SWORE TO THEIR FATHERS, NOR SHALL ANY OF THOSE WHO REJECTED ME SEE IT" (Numbers 14:22,23 NKJV).
If you have taken His goodness for granted, on a particular thing which He has made available in your life; He may allow you to experience drought of that thing, because you do not appreciate His goodness (Romans 2:4).
If God has been sending His servants to you, yet you do not change, you refused to heed what God is saying through those servants; He may withdraw and allow you to experience drought: “I WILL RETURN AGAIN TO MY PLACE TILL THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR OFFENSE. THEN THEY WILL SEEK MY FACE; IN THEIR AFFLICTION THEY WILL EARNESTLY SEEK ME" (Hosea 5:15 NKJV).
Famine of His Word
If you despised His words being sent to you, He may allow you to suffer for it.
There would be a time that you will not have the opportunity or privilege of being counselled or taught the Word of God as you are used to.
You may not have someone encouraging or persuading or pressurizing you to do God’s will again. You may be left to yourself:
11 "BEHOLD, THE DAYS ARE COMING,” SAYS THE LORD GOD, “THAT I WILL SEND A FAMINE ON THE LAND, NOT A FAMINE OF BREAD, NOR A THIRST FOR WATER , BUT OF HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD. 12 THEY SHALL WANDER FROM SEA TO SEA, AND FROM NORTH TO EAST; THEY SHALL RUN TO AND FRO, SEEKING THE WORD OF THE LORD, BUT SHALL NOT FIND IT" (Amos 8:11,12 NKJV).
When God sends His Word, the best to do is to heed it, obey it. You practice the Word that you know (James 1:22).
If you refused to heed His Word, you insist of having your own way, God may allow you to do whatever you resolved to do, however, not without repercussions (Psalm 81:11,12).
The consequences of your disobedience may be grievous: “AND EVEN AS THEY DID NOT LIKE TO RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE, GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO A DEBASED MIND, TO DO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT FITTING" (Romans 1:28 NKJV).
Thus, If you have a leader who is encouraging you to walk in the way of the LORD, appreciate such a person, do not despise his or her efforts:
12 AND WE URGE YOU, BRETHREN, TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO LABOUR AMONG YOU, AND ARE OVER YOU IN THE LORD AND ADMONISH YOU, 13 AND TO ESTEEM THEM VERY HIGHLY IN LOVE FOR THEIR WORK'S SAKE. BE AT PEACE AMONG YOURSELVES. (1 Thessalonians 5:12,13).
You will not fail in Jesus’ name.
Peace!