While spending a few days in the great outdoors, a bird woke me up one morning before dawn. His persistent singing eventually roused the rest of his winged friends, who also sang until the trees teemed with excitement. It was as if the first tweets I heard were a lullaby for the night animals and an alarm clock for the day creatures. One bird appeared to prepare an entire forest for the sun to rise.
The early bird’s song reminded me of John the Baptist—“a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!’ ” (Matthew 3:3). John’s off-the-grid life in the Judean wilderness included camel-hair clothing and a diet of bugs and wild honey. His no-nonsense life mirrored his message: “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2).
People from Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordan Valley came to hear God’s “mountain man” preach. Hearing led to believing and then baptism in the Jordan River. Eventually, the religious officials learned about John and came to question him. They wanted to know if he was the Messiah. Of course, John told the truth: “I baptize with water . . . . But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am” (Matthew 3:11).
God used John—a humble, unsophisticated person—to wake the world to Jesus’ identity as the Messiah (John 1:32-34). Like the bird that heralded the dawn, the prophet announced that the long-expected One was about to arrive on the scene.
Maybe, like John, you value simple living. Maybe you feel as if you don’t fit in with those around you. It doesn’t take money or style to have passion and purpose. By the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus provides all you need to sing His song.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 1 Kings 22:29-40
More:
Read Isaiah 40:3 to see how an Old Testament prophet foretold John’s part in announcing Jesus’ identity. Look up Matthew 11:11 to see Jesus’ perspective on John the Baptist.
Next:
Why was it important for God to supernaturally confirm Jesus as the Messiah? See Matthew 3:13-17. How will you use your voice to let the good news ring out today?
Gary Shultz on April 22, 2017 at 5:58 am
Hi Jennifer: I’m glad you got to spend a few days in “the great outdoors”, I hope you found it pleasant. Super-natural confirmation, equals the qualifications needed to be a force beyond what happened routinely, and to do incrementally, works in man and nature. His power unfolded who He was. My message from the early bird, is to sing when you can. Maybe it’s regularly attending church, maybe speaking when the occasion is an opportunity to speak, maybe forming conversations so “good news” can come to the fore. The little bird is busy all day with it’s existence and life cycle, but it does get a chance above the noise of the day to sing. The little bird is heard by all at certain times, but through the day it also chirps to other birds. It may be just bowing our heads before we have lunch. It may asking about something troubling in a life; however, if we are filled with God’s love, we should be singing. Thanks Jennifer
conmeo on April 22, 2017 at 8:26 am
Good Morning, Thank you Jennifer for this excellent analogy. I am joyful in the springtime with so many opportunities blossoming! Hearing the birds sing among all those “Sequoia’s” early in the morning often reminds me of His new life everyday. Now I will give thanks for those “trees” as the virtuous voice of one crying out in the wilderness.
sandy229 on April 22, 2017 at 10:11 am
Good Morning Jennifer and fellow travelers.
The first call of the Kingdom is to repentance. The implications of biblical repentance are threefold;
1)renunciation and reversal,
2)submission and teach-ability, and
3)continual shape-ability.
There is no birth into the Kingdom without hearing the call to salvation, renouncing one’s sin, and turning from sin toward Christ the Savior (Acts 3:19).
There is no growth in the Kingdom without obedience to Jesus’ commandments and a childlike responsiveness as a disciple of Jesus, yielding to the teaching of God’s Word (James 1:21-25).
There is no lifelong increase of fruit as a citizen of the Kingdom without a willingness to accept the Holy Spirit’s correction and guidance (Ephesians 4:30).
(Mark 1:14,15/John 3:1-5)
I pray that others will see Jesus through me today and that I can show others the way to God’s Kingdom. We are going on a new trail today with our jeep friends. I love to look at all of the wonderful things Jesus created for His Glory!!
minkjh on April 22, 2017 at 2:57 pm
There is much to ponder in Jennifer’s post today. John’s ministry was not something that hadn’t been heard before. His fellow Old Testament counterparts had consistently called for national repentance as the only way to obtain restoration to God. John was more than a voice crying in the wilderness, and he minced no words in his preaching. If John’s message in Luke 3 would be preached with the same intensity and truthfulness in many churches today you would see people running for the exits and he would be banished and criticized lest anyone be offended. Today many want to embrace faith without repentance and claim Christ as Savior but not Lord, and simply feeling sorry for sin without giving it up is not repentance. To be wholly regenerate requires us to examine the depth of our faith and repentance.