Have you ever been in a wilderness? Have you walked through a forest? Have you walked in a jungle? Have you been in a desert? Have you been in a densely populated city? Do you view your entire world as a wilderness? Do you think you should? Why or why not?
When we a wilderness, the word can mean different types of environments to different people. In general, when the Bible speaks of a wilderness, it means a harsh environment in which there is very little growth. The wilderness in Israel was mostly a rocky desert.
For Isaiah, there was a desert between Babylon and Jerusalem. The Jews were exiled in Babylon and would cross the desert to return to Jerusalem. Isaiah was prophesying to the Jews that God was going to break them free of their exile. His means of doing so would be different than when they were set free from Egypt, but no less miraculous.
But this passage is referred to in the gospels when speaking of John the Baptist. In his case, he was crying out near the Jordan river, speaking of the coming Messiah. He was telling everyone who would listen that they were going to be set free from their sin. He was telling them to prepare their hearts for something new that God was doing.
So, where is our wilderness? It may be in our workplaces, our families, the city we live in, or anywhere we are. We need to think about the definition as the Bible uses the word and see if there is growth around us. In today’s world, there is very little growth when it comes to following Jesus. Therefore, we need to be a good representative of His and tell others about Him. We need to encourage others to grow in their faith, which does not mean thinking like we think. For we also need to grow in our faith.
I pray we all think about the wilderness we live in. I pray we encourage others to come to Jesus. I pray each one of us encourage others to grow in their faith while growing in our own. See the wilderness. Be the voice crying out. Encourage others. Speak of Jesus. Grow in your faith.
Isaiah 40:3
A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Marty Pressey 