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A humbled and open heart is fertile soil for God’s seeds of wisdom to be planted. Deeper Roots is focused on analyzing God’s word to discover truths, values, and lessons for application to our lives. Periodically, a scripture or passage calls for further exploration, like Isaiah 40:3-5.
Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
Isaiah 40:3-5
“Clear the way through the wilderness
for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
for our God!
4 Fill in the valleys,
and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
and smooth out the rough places.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken!”
Our Deeper Roots passage in Isaiah shows how we should live in a posture of preparation and expectation. Our passage is from the prophet Isaiah, who prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (kings of Judah). Isaiah spoke with directness about the state of the nation and the times to come. Chapter 40 is a shift from describing God’s judgment (Ch 1-39) to His deliverance, salvation, and restoration of His people. After announcing God’s shift of wanting to comfort His people (v1-2), Isaiah begins to announce the clearing of pathways in the wilderness. A leveling and straightening of pathways for the Lord’s glory to come. Isaiah is certain that these events are to happen because God had spoken them.
The voice of the prophet is designed to raise awareness of what is happening or what is to come. In this instance, clearing the way is in preparation. In the same way that you can’t walk through the forest without clearing a path, God cannot enter into a nation or believer’s heart without preparation. When highways are built, there’s a leveling of the earth that takes place, otherwise, our cars are in for a bumpy ride. We, too, must make adjustments to our lives in order for the Lord to enter. As children of God, we are called to soften our hearts, lower our pride, and align our actions with God’s will. We are called to actively participate in the process, not spectate.
Isaiah issued these prophetic messages years before the arrival of Jesus Christ, and yet they are still relevant to God’s people. This foreshadowing, along with several others, was cited by each of the Gospels (Matt. 3:1–4; Mark 1:1–4; Luke 1:76–78; John 1:23). All alluding to the role of John the Baptist, a voice in the wilderness shouting to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus Christ. And as we sit and reflect in the stillness of Advent, this prophetic message is still applicable to Christians today. We need to humble ourselves(flesh). We need to get our spiritual houses in order (yield to the Holy Spirit). We need to prepare our spiritual bodies for Jesus Christ’s second return. For no man knows the day or time, yet we must remain in a posture of expectation and preparation. The real question to ask yourself is, “Have you cleared the way?”
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The passage illustrates the importance of being a beacon of light in dim, dark places, as guided by Luke 11:33-36. One must not let comfort lead to dulled awareness, but instead consciously illuminate one’s environment. It urges self-reflection on how one’s personal light can lead others towards embracing Jesus.
The Lord’s Prayer 11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone
The Beatitudes 20 And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your
I have been lost a time or two. Usually, because I got distracted and wandered off the intended path. Whatever sparked my interest was enough to cause me to lose sight of my intended destination. In this passage, we find Jesus as a child, so focused on His Father’s business that he wanders off from his parents. In my own life, I’ve found that I’m not prone to wander towards my father’s business….but away from it.
If you or someone close to you is in need, we would be honored to lift you up in prayer. We believe in the power of prayer to bring peace, comfort, and reassurance during times of hardship. Our community is ready to join together and pray as we trust in God’s love and unending grace.
