#365daysinthebible

God’s promises will come to pass. And yet, there are times when He withholds the full story. God knows how much information we can handle. If he told us all of the challenges we’d have to weather to get to the promise, many of us would turn around. That’s why God releases instructions piece by piece. It’s our responsibility to steward each piece wisely. We must make the best of each situation we encounter by looking to God for strength and wisdom. When the current circumstances don’t look like the promise, keep going, keep trusting, keep believing.

When Mary finds out that she is destined to give birth by miraculous means, she puts herself in an environment of preparation. Mary knew from the angel that Elizabeth was further along in her pregnancy and sought her out. Both of them were first-time mothers, with divine revelations on who their children would be. Mary positioned herself in a place with someone further along than she was. And once she arrived, they both recognized the gift of what they were carrying. Those three months were full of preparation for not only John the Baptist’s arrival but Jesus Christ’s arrival. Because at that time, Mary had no idea that she would be delivering in a different town, in a cave, and placing her newborn in a manger, but walking alongside Elizabeth prepared her for the season ahead.

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.