"I Am" The Voice Of One

[Albert Finch]

Isaiah 40:29,31 - He givethe power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

It is as we wait upon Him that we are renewed in power and strength. We must find a special quiet place where we can shut out the cares of this world and get alone with God. Great grace is released when we truly enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise by taking the time to praise the Lord and to bless His Holy Name.

Being part of a local church and attending their church services are essential but this is no substitute for our devotional times alone with the Lord of Glory.

Notice in Luke 3:2 that the Word of God came to John The Baptist while he was alone in the wilderness, thus giving him clear direction for the days ahead. The programs of the Church of that day were in full operation, yet John was called apart to be with the Lord alone. So also today, there are those who are spiritually hungry and seeking something more, who likewise are being called apart to be alone with the Lord for a time of preparation. As a result of his being alone with the Lord, John came into a oneness with the Lord that could not have been accomplished in any other way.

When John was asked who he was, his response testifies to this experience. He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said" (John 1:23). Each one of us should come to the place where we also could make this statement. "I am the voice of One."

There is an urgent need for this voice to cry out in the midst of the frustrations and perils of our present day. We live in a world that must have the grace and peace of God.

The need today is not for a new methodology, but rather a turning aside to stand in the manifest presence of the Lord to be prepared as the "voice of one" crying in the wilderness of our day. May it be stated of us, as it was of the disciples of old, that it is apparent we have been with Jesus. This, and only this, will make the changes that must occur if we are to reach this hurting world with the message of God's redemptive, transforming grace.

As we get in His presence, we recognize the end of our abilities so we can tap into His ability. Only then will we be enabled to become the expression of His voice crying in the wilderness of our day.

　

Albert Finch

https://afministry.ning.com/ (New Studies Every Day)