John the Baptist was rugged, bold and popular. He was a “man’s man” who wore camel hair clothes and lived outside. He fearlessly addressed self-centered leaders with words like “brood of vipers!”, so he wasn’t exactly the timid type. He even declared Jesus the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. But later, his story took a drastic turn and we read these shocking words:
“And John…sent them to Jesus saying, Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another?” – Luke 7:19 NKJV
Suddenly, the mood changed. Why? It’s because John proved to be human. Not in a sinful, fall-from-grace kind of way, but in a real life, faith-in-motion kind of way. At the point of v.19, John was in prison, having faithfully executed what God commissioned him to do; but doubt crept in. That’s the way it is, you’re walking along with a sense of confidence and the path begins to feel strange and unfamiliar. For John, he had faithfully preached judgment, repentance and the Kingdom, but so far, it appeared nothing was happening. The Romans were still in charge, the Jewish leaders were still corrupt, and he wondered “Could I have been wrong?”
Jesus graciously replied and endorsed John’s ministry by saying, “…among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist…” but He also instructed them to return and tell what they had witnessed; “The blind seeing, the lame walking…etc.” (fulfilling prophecy- Is. 35:5-6).
So, what do you know to be true today? For a moment, set aside the circumstances and ask yourself, “What do I KNOW to be true?” How have you experienced God’s provision in the past and known Him to be faithful? Pause to thank Him for those moments, hold on tight to them, and look forward with confidence because:
“He who calls you is faithful…” (I Thess. 5:24) NKJV
“When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you.” – Proverbs 2:10-11 NKJV
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