Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots. Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!” Isaiah 40:3-5…this is [John the Baptizer] who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah Matthew 3:3
The prophet Isaiah records that before all people will see God’s glory, the curves, valleys, and hills that restrict our vision must be smoothed out, and made straight. This has always been the job of the prophets – to expose our hills, valleys, and curves… those things that obstruct a clear view of God’s Plan for our time and His Will for all eternity.
John was the “voice shouting” in the wilderness, to prepare the hearts and minds of the people to receive Christ. The leaders of religion in John’s time had perverted God’s message into a strict list of rules and regimens. They used their religion and their position for personal power and political jockeying. They had created curves, hills, and valleys that restricted and restrained the people from accessing God’s grace in their lives.
This season is a good time for us to take stock of our own lives. Have we created detours to God’s love for ourselves and others? It is time to “make smooth” the way for the Lord!
Dear Father, show us the curves, hills, and valleys that are obstructing our clear view and full access to your love. Help us to smooth out those obstacles in our lives, and prevent us from creating obstacles in the lives of others. Amen
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