Kevin Cuthbertson: Wilderness
The Gospel of Mark begins with an account of the ministry of John the Baptist, the “voice crying out in the wilderness” who was prophesied to come by the prophet Isaiah.
Why is it that God would send this messenger, not to a large city, not in the midst of the hustle and bustle everyday life, but to the middle of nowhere?
The Old Testament prophets used this type of place, this wilderness, to describe the state of the people of God. That spiritually, they were dry, spiritually, they were barren. Spiritually, they were fruitless. And yet Isaiah tells us that it’s in the midst of this wilderness, in the midst of this nothingness, that God’s glory would come and His truth and character would take root and bear in and through them the fruit of righteousness.
We have experienced something similar over the last few months as our lives and schedules have been turned upside down. How has God been working in the middle of this “wilderness,” and how might we apply what we have seen from God during this time to love our neighbors well?
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO
Consider how God is showing you His glory during this current cultural “wilderness.”
Consider how you can love your brothers and sisters in Christ through this time.
Pursue deep conversations with one another about what the Lord is teaching you.
Please pray that God will use this time in the “wilderness” to bear the fruit of righteousness, not simply in you, but also in the lives of others in your community.
Please pray that God uses your time in the wilderness to love Him with all you are, and love your neighbor as yourself.