Posted on May 17, 2013
A Voice In the Desert
What is God asking me to do? What’s my job, my role?
Our “Wednesday In the Word” study this week focused on John the Baptist’s role, preparing the way for Jesus. He was the voice in the desert crying, “Get ready! Clear away your sin. The Promised One is coming—the Kingdom of God is here!”
John’s audience was huge. Some came out of true desire to hear, some to mock, some to report his comments to Herod. Some were responsive, some were not. John didn’t take time to consider who was who. He just did the job he was sent to do. He had amazing news, and he poured his life out shouting it!
We, too, have amazing news: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV) The sin-blackened inhabitants of this world have a chance to start again—to be made new! Hopelessness is gone, hope is here!
We are His voice, His ambassadors. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Cor. 5:18-20 NIV)
We’re sent into a spiritual desert. Some who hear us will respond, some will not. Our job is not to prequalify, to figure out who is who. Our job is to pour our life out shouting the news, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NIV) Jesus traded places with us, taking on the blackness of our sin and clothing us in His righteousness!
We’re happy to spread news about a favorite new restaurant, a great diet, or a delicious recipe. Sometimes we’re way too eager to share “news” we shouldn’t! Most of us use our voices for a hundred lesser things in a day—but never speak a word about the best news of all.
There’s a vast desert out there, thirsty for good news. Will you be His voice?
So true, Diane. What a great reminder of our purpose. I am so excited to find your blog and web site! I attended KCC when you did. I don’t know if you remember me. Stop by my blog at pennyfrostmcginnis.com if you have time.
I just paid your blog a visit. Looks great! I see you visit the Smokies now and then. One of my favorite scrapbook stores is in Sevierville!
And, Diane, Penny is my great friend, too. She was one of our teens at Allensburg when we ministered there. Penny has published in Chicken Soup for your Soul and other publications. Two beautiful, godly writers that I love!
Thank you, Marla. Love you, too. Diane, I also have a devotional blog that I forgot to mention-http://encouragementjourney.blogspot.com/ and I sent the link for your teacher’s devotions book to my daughter. She teaches Kindergarten.
Thanks for sharing the link, Penny. Tomorrow afternoon, I plan to check out your devotional blog. If your daughter is a school teacher, she might be interested in my new project, due out ASAP. It’s called Raising A Verbal Child—my answer to this text-messaging, abbreviation-loving generation who are going to be raising the next generation! Lots of ideas for raising a confident communicator…. After that, Im back to Bible studies!
Thank you, my friend! Now we’re waiting to read your writings!