All People Will See God

Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.     Luke 3:4-6

These words from John the Baptist laid the ground work for Jesus's coming. John set clear expectations for what it would look like for the Savior to enter into our world. The end goal was lifted up and made central - that everyone would see God's salvation. It's good to remember the big picture, especially when dust clouds are swirling and dirt is flying because of all the construction debris involved in preparing the way!

Some of the debris that's choking the air is coming from the valleys being filled in and the mountains being lowered. These were stunning images to the people back then, because it meant that everyone would end up with equal footing. That's not how their world worked. Instead, theirs was a world where the powerful threw their weight around, where the poor and those on the margins got the leftovers (sound similar at all to politics or religion these days?).

Are you ready to prepare for some construction on your soul, on your church community, and on your neighborhood? It's going to get messy - that's guaranteed. But remember the long term vision - all people will see God's salvation (that includes you, by the way!). 

Take some time to ask God to prepare the way in you to go on this journey towards Jesus, so that you will be increasingly willing to be worked on.