"CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS" Thoughts from Today's Bible readings - Sept 11th

“CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS”

            The world is a spiritual wilderness today.  We read today of when John the Baptist appeared on the scene and that he was a “voice crying in the wilderness” [Luke 3 v.4] – it was a spiritual wilderness then too, there had been no prophet from God for about 400 years – since the days of Malachi.   Today there has been no message from God that people have taken serious notice of since the Bible was translated and printed and became available in all major languages, this was at least 400 years ago. People “listened” to God’s “voice” then and the world underwent a spiritual reformation; but deafness set in again more and more with each generation until today, nearly all are totally ‘deaf.’

            We saw significant parallels in our Ezekiel reading (ch.7) today.  The 10 northern tribes that made up the kingdom of Israel, as distinct from Judah in the south, had become so wicked that they were all in the process of being taken away into captivity: the southern kingdom was soon to follow.  However, God’s words through Ezekiel, could be his words to the great majority today.  It seems no one was listening to Ezekiel – and it’s the same today, so few are seriously listening.

            “Behold the day! Behold it comes!  Your doom has come” [v.10] wrote Ezekiel, adding, “Violence has grown up into a rod of wickedness” [v.11]  He continues, “The time has come; the day has arrived.  Let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all …” [v.12] “When anguish comes they will seek peace, but there shall be none.  Disaster comes upon disaster….” [v.25,26]  

            Thankfully, wonderfully, there is an end coming to the disasters that will surely multiply in today’s world’. Those who know God’s word and have established a relationship with him, will know where to “seek peace” and that “the prince of peace” will return “and the government shall be upon his shoulder” [Isa. 9 v.6] and “the wilderness” will be no more – but only those who have heard (by reading and thinking and believing) “the voice crying in the wilderness” will experience the everlasting wonders that “that day” will bring.  Are you listening? What effect is it having on your heart?