September 22
Isaiah 39:1-41:16 | PS 66:1-20 | Prov 23:25-28 | Eph 1:1-23
You don’t put aside enough time on your way to church. As you are rushing through the streets you find yourself angry at every slow driver and every red light. You finally bolt through the doors just as worship is finishing and just before the message is delivered and you relax because you feel you made it. You hit the alarm clock one too many times and wake up a bit late for work. Once again you rush through your morning ritual and get to work just on time, but wonder why everything at work is annoying you. You are going on vacation and your kids are not behaving. You rush past every hurdle but find yourself aggravated by the time you finally sit down on the plane or arrive at your destination. We go through life without preparing our hearts. We forget that the objective is not just to “make it” but to place ourselves in a position to experience, serve, and be receptive.
We read in Isaiah 40:3-5, “ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”” In those days, when a king was coming to visit, they would prepare the roads so they were smooth to prepare for the king’s entry. This passage was used to relate to the ministry of John the Baptist in each of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) to describe his role in preparing the hearts of the people for the Son of God who would soon be there.
But these verses apply to each and every one of us. Our hearts must be prepared, the soil of our hearts must be cultivated. We do this by spending time in His word, in prayer, in worship, in fellowship, in service, etc. The glory of the Lord is revealed to prepared hearts. It is available to all flesh. A message is best received when the heart is ready to hear it. Developing a servant’s heart at work, no matter what our vocation or position is, can only be achieved if we prepare our hearts. Even enjoying time with our families and friends and bringing God into these relationships is only done if you have prepared beforehand. There simply are no shortcuts if we want to experience the presence of God daily in our lives. Isn’t this what we all desire?
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: