A Voice In The Wilderness Part 1

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Luke 3:4-6 " as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
I love how the Message Bible puts it: "Thunder in the desert! Prepare God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight! Every ditch will be filled in, every bump smoothed out, the detours straightened out, all the ruts paved over. Everyone will be there to see the parade of God's salvation."
In the olden days, a royal herald would order the roads to be prepared in preparation for the coming of a great dignitary. Everyone got involved. It was his job to proclaim that someone special was coming. John the Baptist was a herald of the coming of the Lord.  Isaiah 40:1-11 is the prophecy of that very fact. John brought a gospel of repentance which would prepare the people for the coming of Jesus Christ.
Today- the Church should be the herald of the Lord's coming! We must make the proclamation of His arrival! We must order that the roads be straightened out and the hills and valleys leveled. Not literally of course, but spiritually. There are many Christians who are walking on crooked roads and living in valleys and mountains without the Presence of the Lord. They are so bogged down with the stresses and acts of daily living that they are not aware that time is drawing near for the arrival of the King! They are not ready! We who are given the order to proclaim the soon coming of the King must proclaim it loud and strong!
The wilderness was a barren land but it did hold residents- nomads- wandering throughout the dessert- unaware of what was about to happen. It is the same today. Many are wandering around unaware of what is about to take place. The Church must pick up the trumpet and sound the call-- be a voice in the wilderness that the Lord is coming and in order to prepare for His coming- they must repent. Repentance prepares the way for the Lord!
But a word of caution here. Our "voice" must be birthed out of love and compassion for the lost. We cannot speak out of anger or judgment. We must first repent and be the recipients of God's grace, forgiveness and mercy. The world must feel the true love and compassion of Jesus Christ flowing from us.
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 Dear Lord, cleanse us so that we may be the herald for Your coming- that voice in today's  wilderness. May we bold and courageous to tell others about the love and forgiveness that You have graciously offered. 
In Christ's Name, Amen.

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