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Introduction How to Use This Book Week 1. The Wilderness Week 2. The Wilderness of Oppression Week 3. The Wilderness of Sin Week 4. The Wilderness of Distraction Week 5. The Wilderness of Despair Week 6. The Wilderness of Temptation
In our introduction, we describe the wilderness as a season of life in which you feel disconnected, lost, hurt, or confused. It is a season of spiritual dryness that can feel particularly harsh. Today I want to focus on the story of John the Baptist and look closer at the verse that challenged my perspective about seasons in the wilderness.
Watch the opening video.
People have used many words to describe wilderness experiences. These include:
?harsh
?lonely
?unintended
?dry
?terrifying
?hopeless
?barren
?desolate
?confusing
Take a moment to identify a wilderness season in your own life. It could be one you are currently experiencing or one you experienced in the past.
1. What difficulties, challenges, or heartaches brought you to the wilderness?
2. What words from the list above best describe your wilderness season?
During the rest of the week, we'll take a closer look at the life of John the Baptist. But for today we'll focus on the verse that changed my perspective on our wilderness seasons.
Luke 1:80 says, "The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel."
What does it mean to be strong in spirit? Spiritual strength is not about digging deep or pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. Instead, it is reliance on and alignment with the Holy Spirit-it's a resilience that develops when we trust God to do the work in and through us.
3. Think of someone you know who is spiritually strong. What is an example of their spiritual strength?
4. In what area of your life do you tend to rely on your own strength rather than on God's strength?
Learning to rely on God's strength requires that we learn to trust God's character. Consider these words that God spoke through the prophet Isaiah:
This is what the LORD, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the LORD of Armies, says:
I am the first and I am the last.
There is no God but me.
Who, like me, can announce the future?
Let him say so and make a case before me,
since I have established an ancient people.
Let these gods declare the coming things,
and what will take place.
Do not be startled or afraid.
Have I not told you and declared it long ago?
You are my witnesses!
Is there any God but me?
There is no other Rock; I do not know any. (Isaiah 44:6-8)
5. List the titles and characteristics of God included in this passage.
6. What is God uniquely capable of accomplishing?
7. What reasons does this passage give us to "not be startled or afraid"?
8. How could recognizing God's strength transform our perspective on our own spiritual strength?
9. What might God want to refine in you through the wilderness?
10. How is God preparing you now for the next season of your life?
In the coming days we will see how John the Baptist knew and lived with this conviction-that his strength came not from himself but from God.
As you end this time together each week, I encourage you to spend some time in prayer:
Heavenly Father, our Rock and Salvation, the wilderness is not a pleasant experience. You know the pain we feel when wandering through it. We know, however, that you are with us in the wilderness. Not only do you give us your presence, you also give us your strength. Help us to walk in the power of your Spirit whether we are walking in the wilderness or sitting in the sanctuary. In Jesus' name, amen.
If time allows at the end of each group session, I encourage you to share with one another any prayer requests and bring them to our faithful and trustworthy God in prayer.
To move forward, it's important to look back. We touched briefly on John the Baptist's parents in the video, but let's take a deeper dive today.
Read Luke 1:5-24
Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, both came from the priestly line of Aaron. They served God faithfully and humbly, and yet they remained childless. In this era childlessness was seen as a curse. Why God had not blessed them with children was beyond their understanding. At their age, however, Zechariah and Elizabeth probably expected no change in their situation and had learned to live with it.
Walking through infertility can be its own wilderness. While infertility may not carry the same stigma it did in biblical times, it's still frustrating and can cause women and men to feel that something is wrong with them. If that is your story, I grieve with you and I pray you would know your worth whether you have a child or not. I pray for supernatural comfort as you navigate this season of your life.
Zechariah is performing his priestly duties when he has a supernatural experience. An angel appears and delivers an incredible message.
Read Luke 1:5-17
?What do we learn about Elizabeth and Zechariah in verses 5 and 6?
?What is foretold to Zechariah by the angel?
?What is the significance of the angel's message for the people of Israel?
This is a pretty big deal! Not only will there be a child in their sunset years, but the child has a significant responsibility.
?How might have Elizabeth's and Zechariah's years of waiting for a child prepared them to raise a child with such a unique calling?
We can probably understand Zechariah's skepticism in his response to the angel: How can this be? My wife and I are way past our prime. Essentially, Zechariah is demanding a sign from the angel since he cannot comprehend how this message makes any sense.
Sometimes when we look at our circumstances instead of our God, we forget what is possible. Our circumstances may be limiting, but our God is limitless.
Indeed, Elizabeth does conceive and gives birth to a baby boy! And then when the baby is eight days old and Zechariah confirms that the boy's name should be John, Zechariah shares a prophecy. This passage is often referred to as Zechariah's song (Luke 1:68-79). As you look closely at this song, you'll notice that Zechariah makes declarations about God and about the new child.
?Think about your current circumstances-especially something that feels hard. What would it look like to view that circumstance through the filter of our God instead of the other way around?
Read Luke 1:57-79
?What does Zechariah declare about God? List those declarations below.
?In verses 76-79, he turns his attention to John. What is John's calling?
There had been no prophet among the Jews for centuries. Not only had Zechariah and Elizabeth dealt with unfulfilled longing in their childlessness, but the whole of Israel had been experiencing unfulfilled longing in their hunger for a Messiah. Now the time had finally come, Jesus was on his way, and John would be his hype man.
John would not save people because he didn't have the power to do so, nor...
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