And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. Luke 1:80
I have some homework for you. There are seven references in the Scriptures to a child growing, similar to what we have in our text today. The seventh reference is to the Lord Jesus, in verse 40 of the next chapter. So your task is to identify the first five, all of whom are found in the Old Testament. How wonderfully God provides His patterns in His Word, with the number seven always pointing to that which is finished, perfect, or complete. And so it is with boys in the Bible, with the Lord Jesus being the seventh boy to be identified in this way. And John was the sixth, the one who God chose to introduce the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God. Of both John and the Lord Jesus does Scripture record they waxed strong in spirit. This must be significant.
When I had a young son, I was pleased as he grew and developed in his abilities. Now that I have grandsons, I also take great delight in seeing them becoming strong, healthy, and bright boys and men. As parents and grandparents, we enjoy seeing the young as they become more able to do things. For example, it gave me a big thrill some years ago to watch my eldest grandson win a race at a swim meet. I am sure other parents and grandparents experience the same at their children’s achievements. But how often do we take note of their development in spiritual things? How important is it to us to see them saved and growing in their appreciation for the things of God? After all, that is far more important than their physical and intellectual development. Nothing that they could ever achieve in school, in sports, in any endeavour, is as enduring and as precious as their achievements in grasping the truths of the Word of God and in discerning the will of God. Growth in spirit is to be desired above all things in our children.
Notice where John spent his time: in the deserts. We are not told what he did there, although he would have to work to provide for his needs. But in the deserts, he was not under any pressure to develop the fancy manners and wear the pretty clothes that would be appropriate for a lad growing up in the towns and cities. John was a plain man, seeing no need for the comforts and the fancy food of society. Spiritual things were so important to him that the things of the world simply did not matter, as long as he had enough to get by. That is an attitude that would make a great difference among us, if we could be a little more like John. We would be better Christians, better able to serve our Lord, if we had less attachment to the comforts of this world.
How is our strength of spirit these days? And do we take as great delight in our children as they grow in spirit as in their growth in other areas? -Jim MacIntosh