Discouragement is the number one tool used of the Devil to hinder or stop our service for the Lord. The last post was on Elijah and his discouragement which made him want to quit. The Lord answered him with a question and a quake to get him back on track. But, there were two other leaders in Scripture that faced the same discouragement and doubt-John the Baptist and Peter.
John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin and was chosen as the forerunner of the Messiah to "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." Ish. 40:3. He preached Repentance for the remission of sins, and baptism as a public witness that you believed in Christ. He indeed baptized the Lord Himself in the Jordan river! (Matthew 3:13-17). But as John prophesized , "He must increase, and I must decrease" John 3:30 his ministry was drawing to a close. He had done what the Lord has wanted him to in preparing the hearts of the children of Israel to accept their Messiah. John found himself thrown into prison for boldly declaring to Herod that he had unlawfully married his sister-in-law. This persecution is what lead to John's discouragement, which led to doubt. In Matthew 11:1-15 & Luke 7:19-29, we read that John sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He truly was the Messiah that should come. How could this faithful servant of the Lord doubt the ONE, that he had proclaimed himself to be "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29? The answer_He was human, just like we are! ANYONE CAN DOUBT when we get our eyes off of the Lord.This saint of God was QUESTIONING from his place of persecution, where it seemed it was only him, the prison cell, and the darkness! All he could see then was the present situation, instead of what the Lord had allowed him to accomplish in the past. Surely John didn't expect to end up in a dungeon after he had baptized the Lord of Glory Himself!! I can only imagine what must have been going through his mind, as he sat in the darkness! He very well could have felt alone and deserted! Where was the Messiah that he had proclaimed to Israel? Could he have been wrong in doing so? Was this man, his cousin, truly the Son of God? BUT, the Lord knew EXACTLY WHERE JOHN WAS AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING! IT WAS STILL PART OF THE LORD'S PLAN!!!
The Lord sent back John's disciples with a QUE for the QUESTION! He had to que John's thoughts back to where they needed to be! His answer was a REMINDER of His Word, His Witness, and THE WAY! "Go and shew John AGAIN those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them." Matt.11:4&5. He reminded Him of the Word that was spoken to him from Isaiah 29:18, 35:5&6. HIS WORD is what REMINDS us of what He has done and WILL do!
This Word also reminded John of the WITNESS of the Holy Spirit to his soul when he was still in his mother Elizabeth's womb. When he heard the proclamation that the Saviour was on His way, he lept in her womb, being filled with the Holy Ghost! (Luke 1:39-45. His answer reminded John also of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire that he preached of, (Luke 3:16.) The Holy Spirit also bore witness to John's soul that He was the Son of God when John baptized Him in the Jordan river, (Luke 3:22 & John 1:33 &34.)
He REMINDED John of the Way. "...The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye THE WAY of the Lord, make his paths straight." Luke 3:4, John 1:23. Jesus reminded John that He is the WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE! All of these miracles that had been foretold were now being fulfilled! He was now fulfilling the Word that John had been proclaiming! As the messengers returned to John, Jesus then declared to the multitude that John was indeed His Messenger that He had sent to prepare the way, (Malachi 3:1), and that he was the greatest prophet that had ever been born of women. He did so to confirm the witness of John, and to assure the multitude of his message.
This great leader wasn't exempt from being discouraged and doubting. His thoughts and sight were taken from where they should be because of persecution. Satan will attack even the strongest of God's people to try to get us defeated. When we are doubting, we need to tell the Lord our QUESTIONS, because He already knows them anyway. Only HE can REMIND us, and QUE our thoughts and our sight back to Him.
"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees." Ish. 35:3. "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee.." II Timothy 1:6. The next post will end with Peter.
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