July 8 A Desert Home?

Luke 1:80 and the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.
 
HE lived in the desert? Isn’t John supposed to be someone really special, born to point the way to Jesus? You’d think God would pamper him and let him grow up with good home cooking, a nice bed to sleep in and good friends all around. Why the desert?
     “Why?” could be a weak question when it comes to understanding God’s role in our lives and seeing his purposes. Usually it comes with an attitude of, “I can do better than this.” But if asked with humility and desire to truly turn aside our view and seek God’s answer, “Why?” can be a very strong question. If we are prepared to adjust our lives to the “Why?” we will grow more deeply in our understanding and love of our Father in Heaven.
     To answer the question, then, let’s first consider plants that grow in the desert. Desert plants look different from those in other habitats. They are often spiny, almost always tiny-leafed, and rarely “leaf green.” We have some cactus in our flower bed, and I surely know where they come from! Why are they so different? It is because God has formed them to grow and multiply in drought and heat. They need to be different to survive and thrive, don’t they?
     In this manner, the desert actually may be the perfect place to strengthen John into God’s purpose for him. Notice how the verse says, “the child grew and became strong in the Spirit”. God is forming John to be different than other people. He will only thrive and multiply his mission if has a sure faith rooted in God. John will be different and look different. God forms him this way in order to challenge the norm, call people to repent of their sins and point to Jesus. In the desert, as with Elijah, (see 1 Kings 17) John experienced God’s strengthening power to become the man God made him to be.
     Are you perhaps wondering why you are in a “desert” in your life? Do you have friends asking you, “Why is my life so difficult?” The Bible often tells us that such times in our lives are God’s time to shape us more closely to him. When there is little of the world to hold onto, we can turn and hold fast to the steadfast God. Seeing the desert from God’s view, you can turn the “Why?” into “Why not?” With “God lenses” you can look into the desert and see your life uniquely shaped to bloom in new ways for God’s Kingdom.
     Perhaps you may feel, “All of my life seems to have been a desert time.” Maybe, then, you are blessed more than the rest of us! You have had more opportunities to see God more clearly than we. Believe that the desert times are the times God is waiting for you to turn to him and say, “I can’t do this on my own, Father. I want to hold onto you.”
 
Prayer: Thank you for the desert, Father. May I blossom in you. Amen.