"The child grew and developed in body and spirit.
He lived in the desert until the day when he
appeared publicly to the people of Israel."
(Luke 1:20 GNB)
This was John the Baptist.
The Scriptures teach us that John was filled with the Holy Spirit from
birth. We would consider that enough to begin "ministry" at once.
But not God.
We know again from the Scriptures that John the Baptist was about
thirty years old when he began his ministry mentioned above.
Thirty years alone with God in the desert.
Even then his time of ministry was only about 6 months long.
But Oh what a ministry! It was like a meteorite shower.
The Apostle Paul.
We know he started ministering a few days after his conversion.
But what little is said about is revealed in Galatians 1:17,18,
"I went at once to Arabia and then I returned to Damascus."
And it appears that the period of time in Arabia was about three years.
Probably time alone with God where he received his "revelations".
Then consider the prophet Elijah.
After delivering God's message to the king. God told Elijah
to go hide by the Brook Cherith.
We do not know how long this was. But it was until the
brook dried up. And we know that the drought lasted
three and one half years. So, Elijah might have been there
up to several years before the brook dried up.
Alone with God. Drinking from the brook and being
fed by the food ravens brought to him.
All this time alone with God BEFORE his great victory
over the false religion of Baal on Mount Carmel.
Jesus, the very Son of God himself.
We know that he did not begin his ministry until he was about thirty
years old. And then not until his baptism and the Holy Spirit coming
down on him. From there the Holy Spirit drove or led him out into the
wilderness for forty days alone with God the father and to be
tempted by the Devil.
What makes frail people like ourselves think we can live like we
should, let alone minister to others, when we only spend a few
minutes a day alone with God if even that?
