Day 341: In the Desert

Luke 1:57-80; Ezekiel 35-36; Isaiah 59

From the moment John was born, God was with him and the Holy Spirit gave him power. He grows up in the desert until God calls him to his people. There is a calling on his life from God. If he would have chosen to ignore that calling then so much of God's plan would have been lost. And why does he grow up in the desert, especially when God seems to find so much favor with him? Because I think it is safe to say that God leads those who he wants to use much through places they will struggle, but ultimately grow much. John had to learn to depend on and trust in God completely because the message he was bringing was super controversial and crazy. Our message is the same today! If we don't trust in God completely we aren't going to be bold enough to speak the gospel because it sounds ridiculous to our world.

God says he cares what foreigners think of him and he says he will restore Israel to their land (even though they don't deserve it) because he wants foreign nations to know that he is The Lord. Why would God care so much? Because even those outsiders need Him. Those people who worship other gods and idols could be welcomed into God people someday if they repent and turn to the true Lord. God is so angry at the Israelites because they represent him so poorly, thereby ruining his reputation with those foreign people, and that makes him made. I pray that we learn to represent God truly so that non-believers would catch a glimpse of the real God and want to be a part of his family.

Injustice was apparently everywhere during this time--not very different from today. God is ticked because he realized that "no one would do a thing about it. So with his own powerful arm he won victories for truth." Even though God wants us to be the hands and feet of his plan and be the outward expression of his heart, he isn't going to sit back and let people be defeated by injustice or not care for the poor, needy, abused, and broken. God will care for those in need and "win victories" as the scripture says. We serve a God who isn't ignorant and won't ignore the hurting.