Location, Location, Location
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness,'Prepare the way for the Lord,make straight paths for him.'"[a] (Matthew 3:3 NIV)
It has been said that the three most important things in real estate are location, location, location. I agree. I have moved quite a few times in my 52- almost 53 years because of the location. The last three moves stand out for me- Busy Road didn't feel like a neighborhood, the "human landscape" on Sharp Blvd. changed so much, I no longer felt safe, and the apartment off Route 1 was a commuter's nightmare. So this morning, as I read Matthew 3:3, I noticed- not for the first time, but for some reason this time the wilderness stood out to me- that John the Baptist, Jesus's cousin and the man who said of Jesus, "He must increase but I must decrease," (John 3:30 KJV), preached in the wilderness. You read it right; John was preaching in the wilderness. In fact, Jesus went to John in the wilderness to be baptized. I don't know about you, but I feel a run in my spirit! After doing some research, I received the following revelations from Matthew 3:3:
John preached and baptized people in the wilderness.
Jesus went to John in the wilderness.
Jesus was baptized in the wilderness.
There were people in the wilderness listening to John preach- he even had disciples- in the wilderness!
As part of my bible study, I looked up the meaning of the word wilderness, and here are some of the definitions: A wilderness is a neglected or abandoned area, a position of disfavor, or an uncultivated place. Yet, at the same time, the wilderness is also an area suitable for pasturing sheep! You know we are sheep, right? Psalm 100:3 says, "Know ye that the LORD he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."
While you're pondering those revelations and the definition of the word wilderness, let me ask some questions:
Where are you- physically? Is your location stopping you from doing what God called you to do?
Where are you- spiritually? Are you so distracted that you can't focus on the people God called you to?
Where are you emotionally? Are you so hurt that you don't see the opportunities in the wilderness?
Do you know that God's presence is not limited by your circumstances? This truth should bring you some comfort and reassurance. Tony Evans says the wilderness is "a barren place of preparation and development for what God is planning to do." (The Tony Evans Study Bible) The next time you feel neglected and abandoned, look around and ask:
How did I get here? Matthew 4:1 says, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil." Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit.
What can I do here? Jesus engaged in spiritual warfare- and won! "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." (Matthew 4:11).
How can I be used (by God) here? John was preaching and baptizing people. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. (Matthew 3:5-6).
There's something for you in the wilderness; you just need to look around to see God working in and through you- Let him use you!