Published 6/14/19
Read Isaiah 40:3-5
A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Reflect
• Are you "clearing a path in the desert"?
• Are you "shouting" with joy?
• Everything is transformed and made new through God. "Flowers and grass fade away, but what our God has said will never change," (verse 8). By living with, by, and in Him, we can be reborn to become new men and women in a new world.
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God" (Isaiah 40:3). If these words sound familiar, that's because John the Baptist is recorded speaking them in the four Gospels of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And the message is clear through the ages: "The Lord is coming, so repent and prepare!"
"There is good news for the city of Zion," Isaiah writes. "Shout it as loud as you can from the highest mountain. Don't be afraid to shout to the towns of Judah, 'Your God is here!' Look! The powerful Lord God is coming to rule with his mighty arm. He brings with him what he has taken in war, and he rewards his people" (verses 9-10, CEV).
Pray
Almighty God, you are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. You are the one-and-only eternal God. Make my life new. Wipe away my sins, cleanse me ... and give me eternal life through your Son Jesus Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen.