Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-11-29-2017

This is devotional thought number 2 in our devotional series, God’s Promises are Sure!

“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: For she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 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. Every valley shall be exalted, And every mountain and hill shall be made low: And the crooked shall be made straight, And the rough places plain: 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 40:1–5).

When God speaks, we must listen. He never wastes words. He always provides life saving guidance. All of His words are truth! In today’s Scripture focus we read words of comfort for an embattled and fully chastised people. We read the blessings of forgiveness of sins and the end of an era of necessary punishment for their hatred of love and disdain for God’s mercy. Now, God speaks comfort.

Please read Isaiah 40 in its entirety when you have an opportunity. We need to learn how to apply Scripture to our own lives, no matter the context. How can we apply this blessing to us?

You may not readily notice the promise in these verses, but it’s there. The Bible says that the glory of the Lord will be revealed (that’s a promise) if we prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the crooked roads in the desert, exalt every valley, level the hills and mountains, and smooth the rough places. When a king was scheduled to visit a city or village, those who showed respect made way for Him. They beautified the area. They rolled out the proverbial red carpet by literally clearing a path along his route. Wherever the road was crooked, they prepared a straight path. Wherever the road was rough or too hilly, they smoothed and leveled it. Why? Those who showed respect for the king, made way for Him. They spared no expense, because the king was coming. I experienced something like this as President Obama was scheduled to visit Jamaica. I was on my way from Kingston to Spanish Town and realized that certain terrible roads were wonderfully smooth. Roads that for whatever reasons were neglected, were mysteriously repaired. Then I remembered the the U.S. president was on His way. He was going to travel a certain route to various areas. The Jamaican government could not leave the roads on his route in disrepair. They spared no expense. They had to make way for the president.

If you are anything like me, you have made a mess of your life. You have made mistakes whose consequences have lasted for years. You have necessarily suffered the burden of your bad choices, deliberate sins, willful ignorance, and rebellious attitudes at times. But you serve a God who is full for mercy, forgiveness, and truth. While He will in no way clear unrepentant sinners from their guilt, He does indeed give abundant mercy to those who confess and forsake our sins. This is a promise for those who make way for the King in our lives. Make way for the King! Make way for the King! Remove the doubtful obstacles, rough patches of unfulfilled vows, and crooked ways. Throw open the gates into your heart and welcome the King! Guess what happens when we do this? When we surrender to the process of preparation and acceptance of our King, He will reveal His glory in our lives for all people to see. When we make way for Him, He will ride into our lives on His majestic white horse of grace much...