4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
Deuteronomy 14:1-16:8
Luke 1:67-2:7
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Luke 1:76 (CSB): “And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,”
Reflecting on God’s Word
When John the Baptist was 8 days old, his father, Zechariah, was filled with God’s Holy Spirit. In that moment, he prophesied over his son (Luke 1:67). Part of what he said is in the verse I have chosen for today.
Luke 1:76 (CSB): “And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,”
A big part of John’s mission was to “go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” This was a familiar concept in the 1st-century Roman world. Kings would typically have people go before them to create new roads or flatten existing roads so that the king and his entourage would have a nice road to walk on as they entered a city.
This is what John did for Jesus. John paved the way for Jesus by getting people’s hearts ready. He was a fiery preacher who called people to repentance and pointed them to “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). He got people ready for Jesus!
Now, let me give you a quick personal application of this and how God is answering my prayers.
As I write this, roughly two months before March 25, my youngest son is settling into Boyce College in Louisville, KY. When my wife and I helped him move into his dorm last week, we were praying for his success as he continued to follow the Lord.
But I had been praying for something very specific for the past few months. My prayer has been:
“Lord, you had John the Baptist prepare the way for You so that Your tasks were a little easier. Now I pray that You would prepare the way for my son and make his tasks a little easier.”
These weren’t mere words. They were the cry of my heart. My wife and I want nothing but the best for each of our three sons as they embark on adulthood. We are praying for their success and prosperity in every area of their lives (spiritual, vocational, relational, academic, etc.).
It has been a delight to hear how well Joseph has done since he moved to Louisville. While he is still on the front end of making friends and getting settled into his classes, he regularly updates us about how well things are going. On top of everything else, it’s not yet been a week, and he now has a job at Chick-fil-A that will work with his schedule and provide academic scholarships.
I choose to believe that the Lord was listening to my prayers, going ahead of Joseph, and preparing the way for Him. I’ve told Joseph that God sometimes defines “blessings” differently than we do. But if he continues to follow the Lord, the Lord will reserve the right to continue to bless him.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to go before you to prepare the way before you each day.
- Express your dependence upon the Lord in each moment of every day.
- Express your gratitude to the Lord for preparing the way for you.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into what John the Baptist’s role was, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 