And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Luke 1:80 ESV
Winter is such a deceptive season. When you look around, the trees are bare and the flowers are few. To the natural eye, it appears as if nothing is happening, but beneath the surface, maturation is happening. Life is like that sometimes. There are seasons where we appear bare, but God is doing a mighty work within us. It’s a season where he hides us, to mature us.
This verse in Luke comes at a pivotal point. Zechariah was visited by an angel to let him know his prayers were heard. Despite Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth’s old age and struggles with infertility, they were going to give birth to a son. But what’s even more miraculous is that their son, John, had a divine purpose for his life. John, more commonly known as John the Baptist, would turn countless people back toward God. He prepared the way for our Lord, Jesus Christ. He was the voice crying out in the wilderness calling for repentance. However, much of his formative years were in the wilderness; hidden from the public.
Luke 1:80 is a reminder that God can use any season of life for the benefit of our character, but the hidden season holds potential for endless spiritual growth. God often uses the hidden season to refine our flaws and develop our gifts. It’s a time of preparation before stepping into the fullness of our destiny. We will find ourselves being stretched or challenged to grow in ways that we never expected or experienced before. And yet, we’re hidden because God’s protecting the fragility of the season. We may feel like we are alone or abandoned or forgotten, but we are not. God is with us. And once we’re out of the hidden season, we will be even more grateful that we weren’t on a platform during the maturation process. This is a reminder: Don’t despise the hidden season, it is meant for your protection during preparation before your elevation.
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