“The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”
Luke chapter one closes with Zechariah’s prophecy about how God will use John the Baptist’s life. The crowd surrounded Zechariah and Elizabeth when John was circumcised when he was eight years old. Zechariah was finally able to speak and he praised God with his first words then began to prophesy. John would grow up and prepare the way for the Messiah and be the first prophet that has come in over 400 years. Salvation was coming into the world and John would point people to Jesus.
Zechariah finished prophesying about John’s life and Luke concludes the account with this descriptive statement:
“The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” – Luke 1:80
Zechariah and Elizabeth would have to wait for John to mature before the prophesy would become true.
- John had to grow up to accomplish the plans that God had for his life.
- John had to spiritually mature to live a life of faith.
- John had to become spiritually strong.
God may be preparing you for something that is to come but this season of waiting is not void of action. You must continue to grow in your faith and be prepared for whatever God has in your future. Babies cannot accomplish God’s plans. Babies must mature, develop, and grow to become participants in the work of Jesus.
Seasons of waiting are seasons of preparation.
Spiritual growth is a process called sanctification. Sanctification is being made into the likeness of Jesus. This process is a cooperative work between a Christian and the Holy Spirit that makes you more like Jesus.
“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deeper people.” – Richard Foster
The Bible instructs all Christians to grow spiritually but each Christian matures at different paces. Jesus desires for His followers to be deeply rooted in their faith.
Below are a few resources I have used in the past to deepen my own spiritual growth. I wanted to pass them along to you. I don’t have any affiliate links in this post – I simply believe in the effectiveness of these resources to encourage Christians to grow in their relationship with Jesus.
If you are interested in learning more about spiritual growth, check out this post that highlights some of my favorite books on spiritual growth.
[Read: Best Books On Spiritual Growth]
Live it:
- Are you in a season of waiting?
- How is God preparing your faith for your next phase of life?
Christ Chronological: Luke 1:67-80
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Chase Snyder
Writer, Pastor
