Day 216 - Wilderness Seasons
📖Daily Reading
Luke 3
🎥 Video
Join me on my morning walk as we rise and shine together by walking through the Bible daily and learn a practical applicable coaching nugget from the ultimate life coach - our creator (whatever that means to you). No judgement zone here, all are welcome, we are all on a spiritual journey because we are after all spiritual beings having a human experience.
📝 Reflection
Luke 3: 2-4
Annas and Chiapas were the high priests. at this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’..
Chapter 3 focuses on John ‘the baptist’s’ ministry, the way maker for THE way maker! I have often heard about John living in the wilderness. Today I sat with this and asked why this was important. I think we can all benefit from understanding this and personally applying it.
In the Old Testament we often associate wilderness with discipline. But I think there are seasons when it is about preparation and growth and is needed and beneficial. We humans are so easily influenced and sometimes we need to set ourselves apart for a season and get out of the ‘noise’ and get back to our natural state.
The wilderness is going to back to nature and our natural self. Who are you, who would you be, who can you be without the noise, influence and input from others? John had a huge and very specific mission and purpose for his whole life. He needed to be kept ‘pure’ and un-adulterated, and undeterred. Connection, education, and community are important don’t get me wrong. Sometimes we need to get back to our essence and in order to stay or get reconnected to God and our true selves and what we think, what we desire, what we understand, what we uniquely have to offer, how we see things etc..
This take time to unplug for a time to get to that essence of your uniqueness. I had a mentor that referred to her ‘ness’ all the time. Meaning our essence. Going into the wilder’ness’ allows us to access our ‘ness’ and bring it into the world for a purpose and for a time. This is part of what I am doing intentionally with reading the Bible. I am blocking out as much as I can of other devotions, interpretations, input etc…
I am in the wilderness of my own mind and with God and the Holy Spirit to read and understand the Bible for myself, with God, with my ‘ness’. Wilderness - has a ‘ness’ to it as well if you notice! The word essence, is the root of what you are doing when you add ‘ness’ to the end of a word- this suffix ness ‘state, condition, or quality of being’. This is similar to the definition of essence - the individual, real or ultimate nature of a thing, the most significant element, quality, or aspect of a thing.
Maybe it is time for you to enter a wilderness season with something. Shut out the noise of the world, other peoples opinions, new information in an area and just see what YOU and your ness with God’s input can do together! God’s sovereignty plus man’s responsibility = limitless adventures! What adventure will your 'ness' lead you on? Music, art, focused learning on a subject, new career, relationships, finances, fitness.. pray and see what God might put on your heart. He has a special plan and purpose for each of us, you are not here by accident!
p.s. I am getting this email prepped ahead of time, because I am doing this for myself for the the next week or so...
✍🏼Daily Journal Prompt
When was the last time you had an intentional wilderness season? Is it time for one?
📖Tomorrows Reading
Luke 4
Coaching Opportunity
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If you have stuck with me this far, then you are not reading this by accident, I believe God has a plan for you and is calling you forward!😉🤩
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