December 18: In The Desert But Not Deserted

December 18:

Luke 1:67-80 “His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:  ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.  He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David  (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),  salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us--  to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,  the oath he swore to our father Abraham:  to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.  And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,  to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,  because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven  to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.’  And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.”

As prophesied, John prepared himself to prepare the way for Christ in the wilderness, or desert.  Isaiah 40:3 predicted John’s calling:  “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”  And in Mark 1:3, we hear an echo of Isaiah’s words:  "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

The desert doesn’t sound like a very conducive environment for anything. Yet, this is the place that John specifically chose (and God predicted he would) to hang out.  The question is why?

In the desert, John maintained a very simple, spartan existence, subsisting on wild honey and locusts. In living as simply as possible, John could devote himself to maintaining a close communion with God – one free of distractions.  His focus was clear, unimpeded, and largely untarnished. 

Based on what I have read about the time period, it sounds as though the people and times were rather lawless and morally confused.  By distancing himself away from it all, John didn’t get caught up in it and thereby developed a strong moral backbone.  He would certainly need it as he prepared to challenge the ways in which people had been living. In order to point out their need for repentance, John had to have a firm grasp of what God expected and demanded.  The desert provided just the right classroom for him to do that.

Deserts are also characterized as dry, lacking growth and, in some cases, life. As humans, we often pass through deserts at several points in our life’s journey. 

When in a desert, life seems like an oxymoron as we feel lifeless and in some cases, dead.  Sometimes, these deserts are challenges (or maybe a series of them), depression, disappointments, etc. During these times, God not only seems distant; He seems gone entirely. 

Just as liquids evaporate in the arid atmosphere, a desert reduces us to the very essence of who we are.  Everything else that we have used to define ourselves is stripped away. Ultimately, we believe we are alone, which is why we feel as though we are in the desert; we feel deserted.

 Through the years, I have come to appreciate deserts.  I didn’t say that I like them, but I do appreciate them and praise God for them. 

No, that’s not just “Jesus-speak” – you know, the stuff Christians think they are supposed to say.  It’s really true.  I praise God for them.

It is in these deserts that God pinpoints us for the purpose of building a Godly character. “It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials: through every cloud He brings, He wants us to unlearn something.  His purpose in the cloud is to simplify our belief until our relationship to Him is exactly that of a child” (Oswald Chambers). Even though it feels as though God has abandoned us, quite the opposite is true. Now more than ever, God is present, moving, and concerned about us.

While they are no fun, deserts are opportunities for prolific growth.  On a secular level, it has historically been true for some of the most acclaimed writers of all time.  Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Allan Poe all suffered from depression and/or alcoholism.  It was in their darkest moments that they created some of the best works. 

Out of something difficult and miserable arose something beautiful and purposeful.

This same statement has power and truth in the spiritual realm as well. Deserts isolate us in a time and place. There is nothing and no one to distract us or help us, including ourselves.  It is then that we understand who and what we need.  When we humbly surrender to Him, He is able to move, mold, and lead us in the way we should go/He wants us to go. While a desert sounds like a miserable way to grow up, I can’t think of any more beneficial environment for John the Baptist.

Praise God that He cares so much about me! Praise God that I am a critical part of His Plan – so much so that He wants to prepare my heart, mind, and character for a special purpose that He has in mind just for me! 

Romans 8:31 “³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Philippians 4:6 “⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Challenge: Write a letter to someone who has made a difference in your life. "At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." -Albert Schweitzer. Has someone made a difference in your life? Maybe it’s a teacher or professor who made a difference in your education; a coach who believed in you and inspired you to do your best. Maybe that person is a grandparent who raised you or a mentor who helped you choose your career path. Why not tell that person in a letter or card how they have inspired you?