In ancient times people would run before the King to remove any obstacles in the King's path. They were to make straight any crooked roads and smooth out any uneven and rough patches. If it were now, it would be filling in pot holes, repairing fences, and pruning hedges for the presidential motorcade to pass by.
But, no King is going down my road and no President will be passing by my door. So just who am I preparing for?
“Prepare ye the way of the Lord.”
These words, taken from Isaiah 40:3-5, give us a mandatory call to prepare the way of the Lord. The call is not just today, but everyday. Are there obstacles in our lives that distract others from seeing the residence of the King of Kings?
To “prepare” means to sacrifice my right to personal gain and earthly pleasures. Repentance means to turn around, turn around and walk the other direction, against the flow of the world’s traffic. Salvation means sins are forgiven and we not to continue on wallowing in them. A tree of good fruit means no more of the moldy stuff.
Preparing the way is the examining of ourselves, communicating to our Father the King and confessing our faults and short-comings. It is serving Him and living out the gospel. It is getting to the matter and the business of preparing the way of the Lord. You could say this is our mission; otherwise anything else is just fodder for the fire.
Janis Steckiel
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Good stuff Janis. Often times, when we look at our mission as Christians, we define it as headings rather than what they are-sub-headings. Meaning that your point, "Preparing the Way of the Lord" truly is our heading for Ministry. The sub-points include methodology like the Great Commission, evangelism, spreading the Word, discipleship, growth, etc. All of these are attributes of preparing the way of the Lord. Let us, even right now, commit our lives to preparing the way for Him.
This was beautiful Janis. I really like what you said here "But, no King is going down my road and no President will be passing by my door. So just who am I preparing for?"
It is so easy to get caught up in our daily frustrations and daily joys and forget that each day is about preparing the way for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Christians are to be Christ-like and thereby paving the way for the Lord to work in the lives of our friends, coworkers, family and total strangers. How can we expect people to come to know Christ if we are not at least trying to be examples of Him. The question that I ask myself at times is do I really even care about people coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ or is it enough for me to know that I am saved.
"But, no King is going down my road and no President will be passing by my door. So just who am I preparing for?"
No, but the lost come down our “road” everyday. How are we living here not to prepare the way for the King, but to show others the way of the King? I must live out the gospel or you are right, nothing but fodder for the fire. Those around us need to see the power of the gospel in our lives, maybe now more than ever.
Communion was served Sunday in our church.The emphasis before hand is always examine your heart for unconfessed sin to prepare yourself to partake of the Lord's communion.(ICorinthians 11:28) As I was examined myself, I remembered a passage in II Samuel 12 where Nathan is rebuking King David for his adultery with Bathsheba that I had studied recently with my mother-in-law.Nathan tells David that he had given the enemies of the Lord occasion to blaspheme.My mind went back to my youthful rebellion, of which I had long since since repented. I had never thought of it that way. I am reminded that being a prepared vessel of the Lord requires constant vigilance.
"Salvation means sins are forgiven and we not to continue on wallowing in them." Wow, what a thought. How often I wallow in my sin and as a result walk right past many opportunities to tell people about the hope that I supposedly have. It is a blessing to claim Christ as our very own personal Savior. If only we would live like we had hope, and like we had an urgent message to share! The Lord is coming back, we should not forget!
Your explanation of preparing the way for the president brought back a memory from 2 years ago, when President Bush stopped at Manning’s Ice-cream in Clarks Summit. It was incredible how secret service and police came ahead of the president and secured the area and moved the crowds to a safe distance from the road. So, how can I do that in my life? How can I secure my heart for the coming of the King? Who or what do I need to remove from my life that might be hindering me spiritually?
I did not know that "prepare" means to put something before me and put away the needs that I have and be more focusing on other people.
It challenges me to think that I am supposed to live a daily life that is glorifying to God and preparing of His coming by putting away that distract me from being joyful in Him.
Thank you so much for your post this week..it gives me a new perspective on how we as Christains to live our live.
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