Talk about focus - John the Baptist was a focused man!  He was driven by one purpose and goal: to point to the Son of God, the Messiah.

For several weeks, the Spirit has taken me back to John 3:23, over and over again.  Although it appears to be a rather simple and straight-forward verse, He began to show me some very profound principles.

The first few readings gave me some general information:  many people were continuing to come to John the Baptist even after Jesus started His ministry, and so he continued to baptize them.  To dig deeper, I looked up the names of John's location, knowing this often gives important insight.

Aenon is a place in the valley of Shechem.  In the Greek it means "a place of springs."  Its Hebrew derivative means "eye, fountain."

Salim is a Greek name meaning "to waver, i.e. agitate, rock, topple, (or by implication) destroy; to move or shake."

Looking further, I found Shechem to be a Levitical city near Mt. Ephraim.  Its Greek meaning is "ridge, the neck, between the shoulders, place of burdens, spur of the hill."

Ephraim is a Hebrew name meaning "double fruit, fruitfulness."

So, John was at a place of springs - the "eye" of the land - near Salim (a place of wavering, agitation, and being shaken).  This was in the valley of Shechem (a city of priests), near Mt. Ephraim (a place of double fruit).

At this point, the Spirit led me to verse 27 of John 3: "John answered, A man can receive nothing, [he can claim nothing, he can take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted him from heaven.  [A man must be content to receive the gift which is given him from heaven; there is no other source.]

Putting all of these pieces together paints a picture of John's focus:

John found the "eye" or center of God's plan for his life and he stayed there - at the place of springs.  He didn't waver or get agitated; he did not step to the left or the right of what God had called him to do.

He didn't try to be a priest or take on a burden that was not his to carry.  He did not get distracted, thinking he could be more fruitful elsewhere.  He knew that he could claim nothing and take nothing to himself but what his Father God had granted him, and that was to ceremonially wash and cleanse people in water to prepare them for a greater One - Jesus.

John was content to do this because his purpose and destiny came from his only source - heaven.  He did not stop baptizing just because Jesus had come; he continued as long as there was an abundance of water and the people continued to come.  But also - he did not try or want to distract from Jesus and His ministering in another place.  John knew that his season was drawing to an end, and that Jesus must increase as he must decrease.

Shortly after this, John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded.  He finished his race.

What has God called you to?  What piece of His plan do you fill?  What is your heaven-appointed destiny and purpose?

No matter what it is, your heart and focus must be the same as John's:  point to the Son of God, the Messiah.  He must increase - we must decrease.  Don't waver, don't carry someone else's burden, and don't look for more fruit in another place.  Run your race with patient endurance, content in knowing that when you finish, you will gain the prize He is calling you to in Christ Jesus.

 

Amy