John 1:23
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
Several statements John made in the verse above that could help every person who is a messenger of God’s Word. The first statement he made was that he was a voice. He was not a politician, but a voice. He was not a businessman, but he was a voice. He was not a sports star, but he was a voice. He understood that God’s Word needed a voice for it to be proclaimed. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with being a layperson with a full-time job, but you are still to be a voice of the Gospel to the world as a layperson. The greatest need of our day are voices that will proclaim the Gospel to the lost. We have many voices that attack those who proclaim the Gospel. We have many voices that criticize those who are building a church of voices that proclaims the Gospel. However, the one great need every generation needs are voices that will be a voice of righteousness and the Gospel to a lost world that will only be changed by that Gospel. The Gospel cannot do its powerful work in the heart of the lost if there is no voice to proclaim it.
The second statement John made was that he was the voice of one. Where were the other voices that should have joined him in proclaiming Christ’s Gospel to the lost? He was one lone voice, but he was a voice. Sometimes, we can feel like we are the one voice, but the power of one voice must never be underestimated. It was the power of one voice that prepared the way for the Saviour, and that one voice has led to millions of voices over the years proclaiming that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. You may feel like you are one voice, but your one voice is making an impact on the hearts of those who hear what you say for Christ.
The third statement John made was that he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He was not the voice of one crying in the city streets where the crowds gathered, but he was a voice that cried in the wilderness. A wilderness is a dry and dead place where nothing grows. There must have been times when John wondered if his voice was being wasted on nothing. However, John’s voice is still heard today as we read what he said years after his voice preached in the wilderness.
My friend, it is critical you understand that you may feel like you are a voice in the wilderness making no impact on those you are preaching or teaching God’s Word to, but you must never let that feeling keep you from continuing to preach and teach God’s Word. You may feel that your words are falling on the wilderness of hard hearts that do not care, but you cannot see what God’s Word is doing in those hearts. You may feel that the words you are speaking are falling on the wilderness of ears that are deaf to what you are saying, but all it takes is for one set of ears to hear and do what you are saying to make a great impact on the next generation.
Sunday school teacher, do you feel you are speaking as a lone voice in the wilderness to the students in your class? Don't despair, but keep proclaiming the truth, for the power of what you are teaching will not be known immediately, but in years to come. Preacher, do you feel you are preaching to a wilderness of people who won't listen? Let me encourage you that someone is listening, and one day you will see that not changing the truth has made an impact on the lives of your listeners. Whatever you do, keep being the voice in the wilderness.
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