A Gift of Scarcity

“I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the LORD (Amos 4:6).

Blessings.

Whenever we think of blessings, we always think in terms of addition. Blessings are things we get. We rarely think of blessings as those things we don’t get.

God declares, “I gave you empty stomachs…I gave you lack of bread.”

That doesn’t sound like a blessing. That sounds like a curse!

Why would God give Israel empty stomachs and lack of bread?

So they can return to the LORD.

Sometimes, God gives us empty stomachs and lack of bread so that we can turn to the LORD. Sometimes, we forget that what we need is, not material things, but God.

So, sometimes, it is a gift not to have.

Why? God is more concerned with your spiritual and eternal welfare and maturity than he is with your comfort.