Check back each Monday for a short devotional with Chaplain Art Pace to help you start the week off well.
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
(Isaiah 40:3)
When a large offensive mission takes place, a lot of work must be done beforehand. Waters and lands are cleared of mines and obstacles. Pontoon bridges are spanned across rivers. Major efforts are made so that the offensive force can move as smoothly as possible to its engagement site.
In Biblical times, this was done for kings. If a king was to travel, workers were sent out to make sure that the roads were as straight and level as possible, making whatever engineering efforts were necessary to ensure as easy a passage as possible. It is this image that Isaiah is drawing upon to make his prophecy.
This verse by the prophet Isaiah is well known to most Christians as it is a prophecy tied to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist. While in the wilderness John the Baptist preached repentance so that folks would be prepared when the Messiah came with the good news of the gospel. John was preparing the way ahead, making a straight highway, as it were, for Jesus.
We know that Jesus is coming again. He promised us that. As we approach Easter, it is fitting to ask what we are doing to prep the battlefield for him, to make the roads straight for our risen King. Such preparation takes a good deal of focus and energy, but is worth it in the end. Our lives should be the straight roads that lead others directly to Jesus Christ.
In what ways does my life honor Jesus Christ? What am I doing that leads others to Him?
