Famine

2 Samuel 21:1  "There was a famine in David's time. It went on year after year after year—three years. David went to God seeking the reason."

I must say that if it were me and I was experiencing a famine I don't know that I would think to ask God why.  However, in the Jewish culture they believed, and correctly so, that God gave and withheld the rains.  So after three years God had David's attention and when asked gave David the answer.  In short, Joshua and the Children of Israel had made an treaty with the Gibeonites (see the post "Tip of the Iceberg") but when Saul was King he had ignored it and wreaked havoc on the Gibeonites.  While the treaty was NOT in God's plan it WAS in His Name and as such, to dishonor the agreement was to dishonor God.  God explains it to David, the chief representative of the nation and David sets thing right with the Gibeonites.  (vs 14) "They did everything the king ordered to be done. That cleared things up: from then on God responded to Israel's prayers for the land."

Now, I've had my share of famines.  Some I paid attention to and others, probably not.  But now I ask myself if my famines are because somehow I dishonored God.  Have I misrepresented Him with my body and reaped the famine of my health?  Have I misrepresented Him in my finances and have reaped financial setbacks?  Have I forsaken the God appointed position of head of family and reaped broken relationships?

Do I think God is just waiting to "get me" for my misdeeds?  No, I don't believe that at all but I do believe that If I am God's representative and do a poor job of it He is entitled to withhold His blessing.  Why would He bless me if I fail to honor Him.

Is your land well watered and growing or is it time to ask God why?