The time of famine represents a time of lack, scarcity, hunger, starvation; a time thing isn’t going well in the land or economy. At times like that, self-preservation kicks in and the focus typically becomes: WHAT CAN I DO or WHERE CAN I GO to end this scarcity (whatever that scarcity is). Most times, many of us panic in these situations and follow the crowd – if everyone around seems to be taking a particular action and it appears to have worked then ‘voila’ that’s the action to take.
In Ruth 1: 1-2, Elimelech found himself in this situation and decided to leave Bethlehem of Judah (his homeland) to Moab (a foreign land). There is no mention of why he did this beyond the fact that there was famine in Judah. However, this was a journey of no return nor reward for him as the bible records that him and his 2 sons and only children died in Moab within the space of 10 years – the whole lineage was wiped out.
Let’s check two more people and what they did in the time of famine. In Gen 12, shortly after Abram left his people and followed God to an ‘unknown location – a land God would show him’, He met with famine along the way. Then he journeyed to Egypt and because he was walking in covenant with God, God watched out for him and his wife (because He watches over His word to perform it) even though Abram came up with a man-made ploy to address his concern when he was going to enter Egypt. After all said and done, Abram left Egypt a blessed man with all his riches.
Fast forward a few decades later. Here comes Isaac, Abraham’s son of promise, also in a famine situation (Gen 26:1-6). Like his father, he was about to head to Egypt to resolve the famine issue after all his father went to Egypt when there was a famine in his time. However, God appeared to him and said ‘Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.’ And Isaac dwelled in the land God told him, sowed and reaped a hundred-fold and he prospered and prospered until he became prosperous and the people envied him – all this in a time of famine.
What made the difference between the results these 3 people got? God. The relationship that existed between them and God, what God said to them and what they did with it. So, before you decide on a line of action when things are not looking good, genuinely seek God’s heart to know where His blessings for you lie. He, not a location is the source of your blessing.
May you act in divine wisdom and be like the sons of Issachar who had an understanding of the times and seasons and knew what to do.
Stay connected,
Bolaji Ajayi
And the word became flesh 