December 1 – Messiah - Isaiah 40:1-5

December 1 – Messiah - Isaiah 40:1-5

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness; prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40: 1-3)

Ev'ry valley shall be exalted, and ev'ry mountain and hill made low; the crooked straight and the rough places plain. (Isaiah 40: 4)

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 40: 5)

Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

If you've ever sung The Messiah, you are probably hearing these words musically rather than simply reading them. If you've never heard them, find a way.  This music was a favorite in our house nearly any time of the year. I can still see the white 33 rpm book package with red lettering on it. We would open it and leaf through the albums until we got to our favorite portions, then play them over and over.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

When John the Baptist came on the scene, he called for repentance.  This was what would make a straight highway for the Lord.  Our valleys and mountains leveled out, the crooked places made straight in our lives and the rough places smooth.

Repentance, turning aside from the wild ups and downs, no more veering to the left or to the right, but following the straight path that leads from darkness into light.  Repentance, leaving behind the old and allowing the new life that comes from knowing Jesus Christ personally to fill every part of us.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord!

The old has past, the new has come.  Jesus Christ is here.  Everything that once bound you to darkness is gone.  The glory of the Lord is revealed.