Isaiah 40:3
“The voice of him that cries in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Mark 1: 1-5
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way;
The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.’”
What do you think of when pondering how to prepare for Christmas? Are you a list-maker like me, writing down all the tasks to complete: decorations to put up, menus for special meals to make, friends to invite, food shopping lists, gifts to buy, cookies to bake, Christmas cards to send? Are you so overburdened with the “doing” of Christmas that there is no time or room left for “being” in God’s presence, preparing for the arrival of the King? If truth be told, there are times I can get buried under the trappings of the season and my heart can drift from the true essence of Christmas. It is easy for me to get caught up in the beauty, sights, sounds and smells of the season that so easily draw me into a creative frenzy.
Today’s passage is as relevant for us today as when the prophecy was written by Mark: “Make ready a way… Make His paths straight.“ How can we make ready a way? How do we make His paths straight? It begins by placing our faith in Jesus and asking Him to take up residence in our lives, not just making room for Him but moving out of the way to give Him control, and asking Him to forgive anything that separates us from having a relationship with Him. And then we can make Him first in our homes so that, rather than “decorating,” we are preparing our homes to be used to nurture others and point them to Jesus. We make ready a way; we make the paths straight in this “wilderness” of a world for Christ’s light to shine brightly, illuminating a path for our family, neighbors, and friends to know this Jesus Who came to give us Hope. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, my friends!
Lord, as we enter this beautiful Advent season, prepare our hearts to focus on the coming of Jesus, the central message of Advent. Rather than getting caught up in the trappings of the season, help us prepare our homes so that they may be used to shine His Light in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. For Your sake we pray. Amen.
~painting by David Carter Brown
