Why the Desert?
Advent Day 11: Luke
1:80 and the child grew and became strong
in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
HE LIVED in the desert? Isn’t John supposed to be someone
really special, born to point the way to Jesus? You’d think God would pamper
him and let him grow up with good home cooking, a nice bed to sleep in and good
friends all around. Why the desert?
Why? It is always
a tenuous question when it comes to understanding life and how God directs us.
But the desert may be the perfect place to strengthen John. Notice how the
verse says, “the child grew and became
strong in the Spirit”. God has prepared a world-changing ministry for John.
He is going to send John to challenge the norm, to prepare people to salvation,
to repent of their sins.
These are
difficult physical, emotional and spiritual challenges for any man. And John
needed to be ready. John had no comforts of a typical son of a priest. He
experienced the strengthening of a man called by God.
Are you perhaps
wondering why you are in a “desert” in your life or do you have friends asking
you, “Why is my life so difficult?” As
mentioned, answering the “Why?” can be a challenge, but the Bible often tells
us these times in our lives are strengthening times. These are the times God is
waiting for us to turn to him and say to him, “I can’t do this on my own,
Father. I want to trust you.”
Pause and Consider: how a desert blooms with the slightest
rain, how its plants are deeply rooted to withstand the dryness and the heat.
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