Day 2: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord

Psalm 41:4
“I said, ‘Have mercy on me, LORD;
heal me, for I have sinned against you.’”

From its introduction to Broadway audiences in 1971, then to moviegoers nation-wide in 1973, the musical “Godspell” took the country by storm with its off-beat, contemporary take on the Gospel of Matthew. Even today when I hear the words, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” my mind automatically switches to the melody from “Godspell.”

John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, with his radical, no-nonsense style preached in the wilderness of Judea calling for people to repent of their sins. His bold proclamation, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” which called on people to examine their hearts, was meant to create a favorable environment for Jesus’ arrival, preparing their hearts ahead of time to receive His teachings, and allowing Him to enter into and operate in their lives. His primary message was to tell people they were lost and in need of repentance.

A simple definition of repentance is to make a decision of the heart to turn from the way we are going and to go the other way, the way that pleases God. It is like doing an about-face in our lives: an acknowledgment that we are sinners, that we need to be saved from sin, and that we need to set a new course for our lives. This timeless message has not changed——Jesus still desires that we invite Him to enter into our repentant hearts because His desire is to operate fully in our lives.

Holy Spirit, in this first week of Lent, please shine Your light on our hearts to reveal anything hidden that separates us from You. With an attitude of repentance, we ask that You prepare us for a new direction in our lives on this earth and for Your Kingdom to come.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

~ painting by Jen Norton