Key Verse:
John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
(Matthew 3:4)
Central Truth:
God gives you pieces, but you have to read the directions.
GOD WANTS ME TO DO WHAT ?
John the Baptist demonstrated a raw faith that very few people seem to have these days. John was willing to move to the desert and sacrifice any comforts that he had to further the word of Jesus Christ. God challenged John to be different than others. God needed John to play an integral part in preparing those around him for the coming of Jesus. God challenged John to be a leader, no matter what others around him thought, and John stepped up to the plate.
Erwin Raphael McManus refers to John's faith as a Barbarian Faith (The Barbarian Way, 2005), and he challenges every Christ follower to seek this type of faith. As a so-called 'normal guy', I don't necessarily see God leading me to move to the desert and eat locusts. I haven't heard God call me to be a preacher, or start a church, or build an ark for that matter. So how am I supposed to demonstrate this type of faith? How will I be ready for the challenges that God puts before me? I believe that it is a daily journey for each of us. You have probably heard the saying that you have to learn to crawl before you can walk. As a Christian, I can't expect my faith to be as strong the day after I accepted Christ as it will be when I complete the New Testament Journey that we are working through now. God challenges us in small, everyday ways, so that when he is ready to call on us in a big way, we are fully prepared to carry out the work he sets before us.
Today's challenge for you might be setting aside 15 minutes to read this devotion and pray;
today's challenge for you might be saying a blessing at lunch with co-workers when that isn't the normal thing to do; today's challenge for you might be to share a Bible verse that has inspired you with a friend who doesn't know Jesus; today's challenge for you might be to pray with a family member who doesn't know Christ but is looking every where to fill a void; or today's challenge for you might be to eat a locust with a little honey on it.
No matter what challenge God may present you with today, remember, the journey is much easier if you walk faithfully with Him.
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One of the definitions for barbarian is foreigner or alien. John did not seek comfort or acceptance. Instead he obeyed and lived according to God's plan for his life. Do I stand out in a crowd or am I just like everyone else? I was planning to share my family devo (Psalm 27) with my neighbor- I guess today's "Journey" is the challenge/encouragement I need to walk across the street.
ReplyDeleteCindy
wormy -loved this challenge! living the life of a barbarian - what does that mean for me today? love your application!
ReplyDeletecindy - wow! seeing your posts from yesterday and today makes me miss you so much - i love your honesty about where you are. press on, my sister-friend, God is with you in this whole parenting thing (yesterday's comment) and walking with you to your neighbor, and in what He calls you to do to be a barbarian today. it is a blessing to be on this journey with folks like you!
jana
I was going to post a comment on yesterday's but something kept me from being able to from my computer.....and I thought it was a lost thought.......but after today's chapter reading, it fits right in. I thought about how Joseph INSTANTLY obeyed God when he was directed by Him to do something without questioning....(something very hard for me to do).....and I wondered what Joseph and Mary would have "missed" had they not obeyed that quickly....not that God's plans for Jesus would have been thwarped, but they would have had to go through more of life's lessons to get to the point of believing obedience. Then today, I thought about how John the Baptist did the same thing....yet remarkedly different personality from Joseph.....he OBEYED God's direction without question. Martin Luther once said that," a true believer crucifies the question 'WHY?' when God asked them Clearly to do something".....it saves time, lives, and also extended pain from having to be convinced. I hope that I can get better at Instant Obedience when the directive is Clear this year.
ReplyDeleteI find myself going back to the idea of living "separate but a part." Living separately from the world, but being a part of this world. As Christians, we SHOULD be different. We are called out of the world. We are called into the fold of the Father and should live accordingly. I agree with anonymous that I yearn to be more obedient this year, so respond more quickly to the call of the Lord.
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