Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord • Deshen Daily

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight (Mark 1:3 KJV)

prepare ye the way of the Lord showing a large gate

John the Baptist’s message to the Jews was “prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” John’s ministry was to go before the Messiah, prepare the people for His arrival, and openly reveal Him in public. God’s wisdom then was for Jesus to come after John had prepared the ground for Him. What did the people have to do to prepare the way of the Lord or make His paths straight?

Obviously, this is figurative speech, and he is therefore not talking about building new roads for Jesus to walk on or to repairs the streets of the street in Nazareth leading to Jesus’ house! How were the Jews supposed to prepare for the coming of the Messiah? It was a preparation of the heart. They had to be spiritually awakened. When Prophet Malachi spoke of the ministry of John, he said, “he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children….” ( Malachi 4:6).

Our hearts can be prepared and made conducive for God. The Lord is saying the same to you and me today, “prepare ye the way of the Lord.” God is moving mightily and increasingly amongst His people, but we need to prepare ourselves for it. Make His paths straight in your life.

MEDITATE

What were the Jews supposed to do in response to the instruction “prepare ye the way of the Lord”?

APPLY THE WORD

The Spirit of the Lord will move mightily upon His Church, doing great works in the hearts of people. Many of us might be crying out for the presence of God, but that presence is incompatible with bitterness, sinful thoughts, unholy desires, lusts, etc., in our hearts. Others want to see the power of God, but our hearts are not ready to believe. Some are yearning for a deeper intimacy with Him, but their hearts are still devoted to the things of the world and choked with all sorts of cares of life. Next year will be a year of the Spirit, and God’s instruction for you is to prepare ye the way of the Lord in your life, your home, or your church.