Browse Bible Study Resources

Daily Devotions

Mark

Mark 
Day 
Day 18

Day 18

Text: Mark 1

"Through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5

LIVING IN THE WILDERNESS

Living in the wilderness must have been a most challenging experience. To survive in the wilderness would require years. In God’s plan, He led John to live in the wilderness till he was ready for public ministry. The Gospel writer Luke made this important comment about John.

“So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was
In the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel”

LUKE 1:80

Mark added a further comment in his Gospel.

“Now John was clothed with camel’s hair,
and with a leather belt around his waist,
and he ate locusts and wild honey.”

MARK 1:6

How did John survive in the wilderness? The following thoughts are worth pondering over.

1. Literally grew up in the wilderness

No city-dweller would have found it easy to survive in the wilderness.

2. Learned adaptation skills

John must have been most resourceful. He knew exactly how to survive in the wild.

a) Clothing

His choice was wise and correct. He was never encumbered with mundane things.

b) Food

He lived off the land. He ate what he found. There were not too many things available in the wilderness for food anyway. The fare was nothing to rave about. One has to be able to forego food if there is to be any chance of survival at all.

c) A strong spirit

This was what enabled John to fare as well as he did! It was his spirit that helped him survive years of intense hardship living in the wilderness. It was his strong spirit that enabled him to preach as powerfully as he did.

3. The Spirit of Elijah

John reminds us of the ancient prophet Elijah. He too lived in the wilderness. God especially provided for him. Ultimately, it was the strong spirit of John that enabled him to survive the harsh climate of the Wilderness of Israel.