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In the Wilderness
Andrea Lende • August 22, 2020
Mark 1:4
In the Wilderness
You can also listen to the meditation and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/In-the-Wilderness-eigrg6
Daily Word:
Mark 1:3
“A voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert]. Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten tracks straight (level and passable)!”
John the Baptist was that one voice.
He spent most of his time in the wilderness.
He separated himself from all worldly things – almost from the world itself.
His divine appointment from God was to prepare the people for Jesus’ coming.
He spoke, or more like yelled, to the people about repentance.
The Amplified Bible’s interpretation of repentance is: “a change of one’s mind for the better, heartily amending one’s ways, with abhorrence of his past sins”.
He shouted about repentance and forgiveness.
He baptized people as they came to him.
And as we know, he even baptized the Lord.
His mission in life was then complete.
If you think about it, his mission in life was huge.
He was given the task of preparing the hearts and minds for the One True God.
Jesus, Who would transform the way all future generations would interact with the Great I AM.
He had this super important task and, yet, John’s life was simple.
Verse six says he, “wore clothing woven of camel’s hair and ate locusts and wild honey”.
He didn’t partake of the normal activities of the day.
Most people drank wine as their mealtime beverage.
John didn’t.
His parents were warned against it.
The wilderness became his home.
I was struck with the word “wilderness”
today as I read our verse.
There are times in life that we feel we are in the wilderness.
Maybe even crying in the wilderness.
We may be shouting from the rooftop and it seems no one is listening.
But we are still in God’s sight.
He sees us.
He meets us in the wilderness.
He cares for us even when it seems no one else is.
The Lord wraps us up in His tender care and holds us up when we don’t think we can stand another minute.
Today I choose to believe that the Lord is with me in this time of wilderness and quiet and will nurture my spirit as He meets me here.
May you find that the Lord is with you in your wilderness and that He is strengthening you as you walk alone.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for showing me that the wilderness is a place in which You do mighty works. Thank You for showing me that Your Holy Spirit is within me as I traverse through the seasons of wilderness. Thank You for helping me see that You are with me and that You see me even when it seems no one else does. Thank You for loving me through the wilderness, Lord. Help me continue to seek You. Keep my eyes on You as I move through these next days. Lead and guide my every step, thought, and action. Lead me to Your feet, Lord. As I seek You, I find You. Thank You for a few precious moments with You as You soothe my soul. Fill me with Your love, Father, so that I may do Your work. As uneasiness sets in, remind me that You are with me. Thank You for never leaving me alone or abandoning me. Strengthen me in every way, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and walk beside you in the wilderness.
Response: Thank You, most gracious and loving Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.