How is your highway
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. Isa 40:3-5
Isaiah was of course speaking of the coming Saviour some 650 years prior to His birth and the message of John the Baptists as he preached in the wilderness a baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
This image of a highway being prepared for the coming King was a metaphor for us preparing our hearts to receive Jesus as Lord and master. The wilderness or desert is of course a place of trial, challenge and obstacles. Life on this earth is not clear of these obstacles or challenges but our faith should not be hindered by them. Instead, we are encouraged to make a straight path for the Lord to enter our hearts by removing the exalted mountains of pride or arrogant thinking and humbling ourselves for His service. We are to make straight paths for those around and about us to enter into a relationship with Him by living a life ‘attractive’ to the kingdom. By this I mean lives which bear witness to the goodness, grace and power of God to others.
The Lord promises to keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are stayed on Him (Isa 26:3) The Hebrew word for ‘perfect peace’ is of course shalom which has within its meaning completeness, safety, soundness, welfare, health, prosperity, quiet, tranquillity, contentment and friendship with God. It is a far more powerful word than the English word peace.
As we intentionally develop a highway of holiness for the Lord to enter our hearts, we are promised this perfect peace – just dwell on that promise for a few moments.
The righteous are assured of a smooth and level path. “The path of the righteous is level, O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth” (Isa 26:7). Despite obstacles, challenges, twists and turns throughout this life, I believe the Lord will always make a way through these challenges. Looking back over the course of my life, it’s had its share of obstacles, some of which at the time seemed insurmountable, however I can truly testify the Lord has always brought me through to a better place and made a way where there seemed to be no way.
We can’t do anything to earn this righteousness of which the Bible speaks. It is a free gift of grace to those who would invite Jesus into their hearts and surrender Lordship of their life to Him. As has been said if He’s not Lord of all He’s not Lord AT all.
“For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Cor 5:21 (NKJV)
This lasting and all-pervading peace is promised to those who are humble and whose minds are stayed on Him – literally this means to lean upon, brace oneself, rely on. This promise is assured for those who lean upon His wisdom, grace and strength.