Scripture
“And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.” (Luke 1:80)
Observation
John the baptism was set apart since the revelation given to his father. His whole life trajectory was set up by a messenger, “He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John was to spend his life in the wilderness preparing for his cousin, Jesus triumphant entry. To think why would God set his life to be hidden for such a long time. John’s mother is not foreign in waiting for years till she was given her son in an old age, and even Zechaiah was to withhold his words, up until John was born. Gods timing and withholding may feel like being stuck in the wilderness, but it was in those moments John grew and become strong in spirit.
Application
We live in an instant culture, where we want everything right now! We want the short cuts and giant leaps because taking it step by step requires the process to slow down. The wilderness for John the Baptist is the incubator of where his growth would increase.
In the Olympics, one of the most cruelest rules to a runner is a false start. Running ahead before the time, automatically disqualifies the runner. No do-overs, and no restarts, you are out of the game. Now I know God doesn’t do that to us in fact he gives us do-overs but if we run ahead of the time he has set, we will miss growth he was trying to teach us than.
John appeared on time but he had whole lot of waiting and a whole lot growing to do. God has put a lot of goals, desires and dreams on my heart but If I despise the wilderness in my life, I will miss the spiritual, mentally and emotional growth that God wants me to know first before fully releasing me into the next assignment of my life. I must remember even in the wilderness, God grows his best warriors. So I must wait rightfully in the wilderness of life by sticking close to the lord, obeying his word and discerning every season well.
Prayer
Lord, I see you in the waiting and in wilderness. Your heart desire is not to send your sons and daughter with a false start but when the time is right you release. I pray lord I inhabit every season of wilderness and lushes pastures as your divine design to grow, shape and mold me!
