Tired In Obedience?
Are you tired?
Do you find yourself wondering why you need to obey (even when things do not
make sense)? And in the midst of obedience and searching, God seems distant and
silent, not saying even a word to you?
Let
me tell you about a man who walked this same road ahead of us over two thousand
years ago. This man is very familiar to you for sure.
His
name was John – the immerser (baptizer). All his life he knew that he had an
important role to play. He had to be fully consecrated for the work that God
had set for him even before he was born. He stayed in the wilderness (for long
time) telling people to repent so their sins may be forgiven. Can you imagine
eating locusts and honey every day or wearing camel’s skin for clothes and belt
all your life? Sounds (and looks) crazy, right? But John endured all that. His
obedience led the people to be baptized in the river – many of them. They
recognized their sin and perhaps turned away from them. confident.
He spoke the truth. He knew that he was chosen for this work.
Then,
that time at the Jordan River came. John proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”
The Messiah – Jesus Christ he had long prepared for has come and to John, he
was not even worthy to take the shoes off the Christ’s feet. Yet Jesus humbled
himself and insisted that He be baptized by John to fulfill the scripture. And
then, as soon as Jesus came out of the water, a voice from above spoke saying, “This is my Son, with whom I am well
pleased.” He saw the Holy Spirit descend like a dove on Jesus. John
realized something and he knows that there’s story still unfold, but he has yet
to know how the scriptures about the Christ
would be fulfilled.
Later
on John was imprisoned. What awaits John? He was so certain of his
call. He was certain of him – that is the Christ. But what has imprisonment got
to do with this plan? What kind of story had he fallen into? John sent some of his disciples to Jesus to
ask him one thing. He needs to know. Is he
the Christ that is to come, or should they wait for another? And to this
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive
sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cure, the deaf hear, the dead
are raised and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who
does not fall away on account of me.” Was
his question answered?
Death
came. John the Baptist’s life comes to its end. He was beheaded. After
that life-long preparation, is this all that there is to that? He had
fallen into a story too great for him to fully understand yet he was obedient. His
labor seems wasted in man’s eyes and maybe he himself had wondered if his life
and what he did really counted for anything, for anything at all. But only
after this life will he know. Only after this life will we know.
John was the one the prophet
Isaiah was talking about, when he said,
“In the desert someone is
shouting,
‘Get the road ready for the Lord! Make a
straight path for Him.’”
-
Mat.3 :3
John
did what he ought to do….Are you tired?
Blessed
are you if you are not offended with me.
- Lee
ann , 23
Bicol
*Pray with Lee ann as she goes back to Bicol to facilitate orientation with Annie and Nonoy, and lead a team this summer. :)
*Pray with Lee ann as she goes back to Bicol to facilitate orientation with Annie and Nonoy, and lead a team this summer. :)
