In the Wilderness

Pro Growth

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. Luke 1:80

For John to fulfill his calling he had to grow and become strong in spirit. This took isolation and intention. John did not seek out or settle in places that promised fame, fortune, or prosperity – quite to the contrary, he stayed in the wilderness until the day– the day that God had established, the day God had determined as the right time. Until the day when John was prepared, physically as well as spiritually, and God’s plans were ready to be set in motion.

We often grow impatient with our desire to serve – or expecting others to “step up to the plate.” But God’s plans take time, and if we want to participate fully in those plans we must be intentional about growing and becoming spiritually strong. That means we must be willing to get out of the limelight and settle in the wilderness for a while.

We must also be willing to allow others to settle into their wilderness times as well. Luke tells us that John’s neighbors expected great things from him, (Luke 1:66). We can imagine their thoughts and comments as the boy grew in obscurity, and apparent “ordinariness.” But John was faithful to God’s plans for his life – and one can suppose that his parents, the ones who had been blessed by God’s very real Presence and Power, may have encouraged him to stay true to his own course.

To serve God fully we must be committed to growth. Our own growth, and the growth of others. Occasionally we must seek the wilderness.

Let's DO something about it:

Fame, fortune, and prosperity – they all sound much more enticing than “wilderness.” Yet, if we want to experience real growth, real spiritual strength, and real fulfillment of God’s call on our life, we have to decide where our focus lies.

• Consider the concepts of “growth” and “spiritual strength.” What do they mean to you? How important are they to your daily life?
• Prayerfully consider how willing you would be to give up the “limelight” of fame, fortune, or prosperity for the loneliness and anonymity of the wilderness?
• Is there someone you know who needs encouragement during their “wilderness” experience?