"Prepare the Way of the Lord!"

by Diana Kriesel

Monday, 1/3/11 – Genesis 6-8; Luke 3 - “Prepare the Way of the Lord!”

S – Luke 3:4 – “As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”

O – It was customary that when a king was going on a journey, people would be sent two or three days ahead of them to command the inhabitants to clear the way, especially when there were no roads, so that all hindrances would be removed. In Luke 3, the leveling of the land was a figurative expression, denoting that the way of the Messiah would be made smooth because through John many were ready to receive Jesus’ message. John the Baptist wanted a way to be made in the hearts of the people for the message of Christ.

A – Not only do we need to keep the road to our own heart clear and free from hindrances, but it is important that we are careful to help the way be prepared for others. So often our words and actions can become a stumbling block to others. It is our privilege as well as our responsibility to represent Jesus in such a way that people are drawn to His Love and His saving grace. We need to keep in mind that we can be “ON the way” for people to come to Christ, or “IN the way”, blocking people from coming to Christ. Which will we be?

P – Lord, keep us mindful of Your heart for people and that everything we do either represents You well, or can hinder people from seeing You in our lives. Teach us to “prepare the way of the Lord!”