HAVE THE “WILDERNESS DAYS” RETURNED?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of 
Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 
(Matthew 3:1-2)

MEDITATION:
“In those days” – The Bible tells us of a man dedicated to serving the Lord
during a time when few were interested in hearing about repentance.
As a result of their apathy (and sometimes resentment), John 
must have felt alone in his efforts to “preach in the wilderness” to a 
world of people who did not want to hear about changing their priorities.

Our world seems to have entered an “in those days” era.
There was a time when people were attending churches in great numbers
to learn more about the Lord and the heaven He made possible for all 
through His loving sacrifice, as part of God’s salvation plan.

It was a time when Sunday was dedicated to gathering with other 
believers to worship and praise the Lord with singing and Bible study.
In fact, there was such a high priority of “keeping the Sabbath holy”, 
that most businesses were closed on Sundays in order to allow
everyone an opportunity to go to the Lord’s house.

But, greed began motivating businesses to stay open on God’s day 
in order to increase sales and profit. 
This change resulted in taking away from many 
the joy of fellowshipping and worshipping with other believers.
Additionally, this corporate greed diluted 
the importance of including the Lord in the lives of people.

It wasn’t something that happened overnight, but it was a subtle progression 
that had a gradual negative impact on the minds and lives of people. 
We can easily see the full blown impact today as many 
(including those who claim to belong to the Lord) have replaced
corporate worship with a variety of other, less important things.

As a result, we see a repeat of history as preachers, teachers, missionaries 
and others dedicated to serving the Lord feel as though they are living 
“in the wilderness”, of a world where the majority is apathetic toward anything 
pertaining to the Lord, and unconcerned about their destiny with eternity.

ACTION:
What influence has the world had on you and your desire to worship the Lord?
Has Satan convinced you that since you have worked hard all week 
(on a job the Lord has given you), then you need Sunday to be a time for 
yourself – after all, doesn’t the Bible says Sunday should be a time of rest?

The Bible does talk about ‘rest’ from ‘work’, 
but not rest from the praise and worship of our Creator.
If Christians today are not willing to live for God “in the wilderness” world,
then how will lost souls know about Him, and the importance of salvation?
Wouldn't you prefer to be an encourager to other believers 
and a promoter of God's Son to the lost?

Pray,
“Heaven Father, forgive me for any apathy I may have toward my 
relationship with You and Your salvation plan for the world. Help 
me to become re-energized in my faith and to re-prioritize the 
importance of meeting with You and other believers on Your day. 
Help me to realize how much my presence encourages those who 
are faithfully dedicated to serving You, and how much my absence 
sucks the energy out of them and contributes to their discouragement. 
You have blessed me in many ways; restore in me a desire to show 
my appreciation to You, so that others will see that my faith is real, 
and hopefully they will want to know more about You. Teach me 
how to encourage Your servants and how I too can become a voice
in the wilderness using the spiritual gifts You have given me.”

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