Luke 1:67-79 Then Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke out an amazing prophecy. The timing of this is rather vague, since it is recorded after the discussion of the talk of the hill country. Perhaps it was immediate, perhaps it was later. The content of Zacharias' prophecy is the appointment of John as the prophet who will give people knowledge of the salvation of God; not that he would be the savior himself, but that he would guide the people of Israel into the path of salvation, and thereby deliver Israel from all her enemies. As with many of the prophecies the Holy Spirit inspires, the speaker may not fully understand the ramifications of their words. The Jews of Zacharias' day regarded Rome, the Roman Empire, as the enemy. A few years later there would be a revolt, the zealots would flee to the wilderness fortress of Masada, perhaps hoping for a repeat of the triumphs of the Maccabean era. The zealots' revolt would end in disaster. But the Holy Spirit revealed through Zacharias that the real enemy was, is, and always will be sin. And that true deliverance is deliverance from the power of sin. Not that God is passing over the penalty of sin - that would also be dealt with, at the cross, through the death of Christ. But it is only the power of the Holy Spirit, only available to us through the work of Christ, that  enables us to live above sin.

Luke 1:80 John waited until the appointed time. How hard is it to wait? If God tells us something, we want to get right out and make it happen. But God waits to act until the fruit is ripe. In the meantime, John became strong in spirit, so that he would be ready when the time was fulfilled for him to begin his ministry. It would be hard.

            Why is the desert a conducive place for spiritual growth? It cannot be a function of the climate itself, or else Las Vegas would not epitomize wanton carnality. The quietness of the desert, the lack of the distractions of family and work and society, open the door for us to hear God's voice more clearly, if we are listening. How can we capture that quietness in our own prayer time at home? From my own experience, it takes great discipline to structure our time and our environment sufficiently to get true quiet. And then the further effort to still the inner voices that call us to worry about the cares of life.