The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness

by Mitchell Tan
March 24, 2022

SERVING IN THE WILDERNESS

John the baptizer was truly a courageous servant of the Lord. He had no problems living alone in the wilderness. When he started his ministry, he was preaching fearlessly to the people, calling them to repent because the kingdom of heaven was at hand. His message was meant to bring great comfort to the hearts of the people who were ladened with sin. He was called to be that lone voice calling in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord. He humbly sought to fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah 40:3-6. John was steadfast and faithful to the special task that the Lord had called him to do.

LIVING IN THE WILDERNESS

“Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.”
Matthew 3:4

It was not easy learning to live in the wilderness. There was a scarcity of the common food that most people were used to. It was a very harsh environment to be in.

1. WITH REGARD TO WHAT HE WORE

John clothed himself with strong lasting material. He used camel hair for his clothing and they were most durable. He was very practical with regard to what he wore.

2. WITH REGARD TO WHAT HE ATE

It was recorded that John ate wild locusts and honey. These food sources were most nutritious. John was able to live on whatever food he could find and still survive in such harsh conditions.

BEING STRONG ENOUGH TO LIVE AND SERVE IN THE WILDERNESS

“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

It was prophesied by John’s father, Zacharias, that he would be called the prophet of the Highest. How did John learn to have such tenacity of spirit and strength to do the will of the Lord?

1. STEADY GROWTH

Zacharias and Elizabeth must have done their part in raising John well. Firstly, he grew spiritually. He grew in his faith and in his relationship with the Lord. Secondly, he grew in stature. He obeyed the Lord and grew in maturity. Thirdly, he grew in wisdom and understanding. He gradually increased in knowledge of the word and gained much wisdom … the wisdom of the just.

2. SPIRITUAL STRENGTH

As John grew, he became strong in his spirit. He was courageous as a servant of the Lord and was steadfast in his commitment to the Lord. He was also being filled with the Spirit of God. The Spirit of the Lord was working in his life and the grace of God was upon him.

3. STRONG CHARACTER

He developed his character through the years. He had learnt to have a strong good character and was very focused in life and ministry. He took the Nazarite vow and followed through with it (Luke 1:15). He was able to survive in the wilderness for many years until he started his short but powerful ministry.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

We too can grow in definite ways that we may be strong spiritually to do the will of the Lord. While not all of us may have the benefit of growing up with good Christian parental support, it does not mean that we cannot still grow strong in the Lord. We can train our spirit to be strong. We can have the spiritual strength and wisdom to face challenges of life and in serving the Lord. Let’s seek to grow further in our faith in the Lord and in our maturity. Let’s develop a strong and good character so that we can serve the Lord faithfully.

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