Scripture
“Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. " (Isaiah 62:10)
Observation
Prior to any forward movement someone or something needs to blaze a trail. There needs to be a clear and concise vision and a well thought out plan. There’s gonna be hard work too. If the path is blocked someone’s gotta take out a machete and start swinging away. If there is no path someone needs to start imagining and inventing one then inspire others to join the crusade.
The Kingdom of God is at hand. More than ever in the history of mankind, people need Jesus. We are a dark and suffering world, continually falling further and further away from the One who offers light, hope and salvation. Instead of running to Jesus, many instead choose to hide their nakedness in the bushes like the original sinners or create their own paths to salvation.
Application
Our responsibility as followers of Christ is to do everything short of sin to show the way home. To prepare the way for His people, all of them. To point a clear direction to the One who saves. To heed the call of the prophet and follow the example of the Baptist...to “PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE PEOPLE” and to “MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD.”
What does this mean practically? For me it means to:
- Have a clear understanding of what God has called me to do. To actively pursue opportunities to operate in my calling and continue to nurture the skills needed to operate effectively in it.
- Understand that my path was cleared by many who labored before me and to know when to just keep the trail clear and when to blaze new trail. It’d be foolish to change direction if the current course was going well, it’d also be foolish to continue down a path that has led to nowhere. It means understanding the history but never compromising the preferred future for it. It means to celebrate moments, but never make them monuments.
- Like the Google map app that directs me where to go and the best course to get there, I need to constantly recalibrate my settings having an accurate eye on what the final destination is. A keen awareness of the surroundings and potential obstacles to reaching the destination are important as not to lose momentum or fall off course.
Prayer
Jesus, I need You, Your mercy and Holy Spirit to correct and to guide. May I seize each moment and opportunity to point people to You and raise a banner high in your name.
