Help For The Discouraged预览

We have time for one Biblical example. Know there are others who needed God to restore their hope, their joy-- their very life. God was faithful.

Let’s take John the Baptist, the cousin of the Son of God. Possessing the Holy Spirit from the womb, this guy was SOLID! 

The Old Testament prophesied that before the Messiah came Elijah would return, and God would send someone to prepare the way. When John the Baptist arrives on the scene with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he goes out into the wilderness looking very much like Elijah, sporting a leather belt and eating locusts as Scripture promised. 

Fast forward through John’s ministry. John recognized Jesus as the Son of God and calls it out on the banks of the Jordan. Then before the crowds John declared that the reason he came baptizing with water was to reveal this very man.

Once Jesus is out in public ministry, the crowds began to leave John and head over to the Jesus wagon. Naturally John’s groupies are upset by this disruption, disturbing their awesome follower numbers. But John gets it! He understood His purpose. It wasn’t to have the most likes, high baptism numbers, or the greatest ministry success. Instead it was to be overshadowed by this guy. Harold the new guy and get out of the way! That was his mission. But don’t stop ministering, John, in spite of the lessening crowds, the dropping numbers, and the discouragement it naturally arouses. Don’t stop speaking the truth regardless of the cost. 

John lands in a dark, miserable prison for his faithfulness. Prison was not on the agenda. Preaching? Yes. Heralding the new guy? Absolutely. Preparing the Way was his calling, not wasting away in a dungeon. 

Life wasn’t turning out like he planned. It begins to have an effect on him. Here he was doing everything God had asked of Him. He frankly couldn’t do any more. For that, he’s in a dungeon. John begins to question very foundational premises that once rooted His life and mission. 

Have you ever found yourself in a different place in life than you planned? It’s not working out like you’d hoped or envisioned? Maybe you too, have experienced two handfuls of hardship for your faithfulness, and it’s causing you to question your own foundational premises. 

Keep reading. Follow John’s lead. He takes his questions to Jesus.