By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

Prepare the Way of the Lord!

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

“…The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.”
Matthew 3:3b English Standard Version

Are you prepared for Christmas?  Are the gifts, the cards, the decorations, the dinners, and the get togethers all in place?  You know, there are only 14 more shopping days until Christmas!  So many preparations!

The season of Advent is a time of preparing, but not for the aforementioned items.  It is a time of preparing your heart for the Christ child, a time of repentance and forgiveness, a time of evaluating where your life is heading.  It may be a time for discarding some things and adding others.

When John the Baptist arrives on the scene in Israel, he calls people to repent of their sins and prepare for the coming Messiah.  He is the voice crying in the wilderness foretold by Isaiah, the one saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.”  How are your paths?  Are they straight and open to welcome the Christ child?  Or are there areas of bitterness and sin habits that need to be repented of?  Do you need to make things right with a relative or a former friend or colleague?  Or do you need to commit to a more regular time of Word and prayer, a time with the Lord each day?

If there are shortcomings, places that need to be made straight, I have great news for you!  This is why Jesus came!  He came to bring forgiveness for sins and healing for your wounds.  He came to set the prisoner free and to bring good news to the downtrodden.  And He sent his Holy Spirit to guide you and encourage you in your daily walk with him.

And so we pray: “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.  Rejoice!  Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado