John the Baptist

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man." (I Corinthians 10:13) I have never taken a hardcore look at John the Baptist. Sure, we know he was the the forerunner of Christ, he made the pathway ready, he was a camel-hair wearin', locust eatin', wilderness preachin' peasant of a man...HE WAS GREAT! "Among those born of women there has arisen no greater than John the Baptist..." (Matthew 11:11). That's Christ's description! John the Baptist was an awesome follower of God!
However, John was discouraged at the end of his life. John was put into prison (Matthew 11:2). He's been there for some two years, and during that time he begins to waver in his faith. Unbelief and doubt begin to creep into his mind about who Jesus really was. Was He the Messiah? Was He really the Son of God? Even though John had witnessed the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove...even though he had heard the voice from heaven, "This is my Beloved Son," (Matthew 3:16-17. John even said, "I saw and bore record, that this is the Son of God." (John 1:34) HE STILL DOUBTED! John, while in prison, sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus: "Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another." (Matthew 11:3)
Doubt. Unbelief. Discouragement. Frustration. "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man." It's encouraging to me when I see somebody as great as John the Baptist being discouraged. Even though Jesus gave him one of the greatest compliments that could be given...John was still just like me! His faith wavered, and unbelief clouded the reality of his life!
And how did Jesus answer John's doubt? By sending his mind back to a place where truth was firm and unwavering: the Word. Christ tells John's disciples to relay this message back to him: "the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them." (Matthew 11:5). Jesus sent John back to Isaiah 35:5-6. Jesus sent John's mind back to a stable and comforting place: God's Word. Overcoming doubt isn't just about feeling better...it's about getting back to the faith that only comes from the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
John the Baptist was just like me, at times: discouraged and clouded with doubt. So, the Word of God needs to be more real to me (every day) than anything I can taste, see, smell, or feel. I need the reality of God's Word, to overpower the clouds of this life.