Thunder in the Desert

When reps from the Pharisee camp approached John the Baptist in John 1 and demanded he tell them more about who he was, he said:

"I'm thunder in the desert..." (John 1: 23, The Message translation)

Imagine the earth, suffering under the relentless heat and unforgiving conditions of the desert. No hope or signs of new life and relief, only the impending drought and death that looms ahead. And then,

a clap of thunder.

As if the earth was holding her breath she lets out a massive sigh. It's not the thunder that is the hope, it's what the thunder represents. The sign that hope is on the way. Relief. Refreshing. Restoration. Life. New beginnings.

John knew his purpose in life, and all he wanted was for everything about what he said and who he was to point to the One that would come to save them all. Inspiring to say the least.

If Christ in us, the hope of glory, has room in our lives to be expressed, then the words coming out of our mouths and how we live our lives should rumble like thunder into the hearts of those who are desperately searching for relief and hope. The ones holding their breath. Something different and refreshing in a dry and weary land. Not us and how refined, how cool, or how amazing we are, but what our life and words are pointing to. The answer. The Redeemer. The opportunity for new life.

John the Baptist has challenged me today. What is my life speaking? Am I preparing the way or blocking the way?

I want to be like thunder in the desert.