2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
In spite of the author’s message in Hebrews 6: 1 that we should “go forward to mature teaching,” the Lord leads me to go back to what must be the foundation for having any kind of faith in Him. I think He knew that some of you may be new in your faith and that others who aren’t can benefit from taking a second look at the foundation we’ve each laid in the past for our own faith. Those of you who have been reading my devotions for awhile have heard me say that we need to empty our spiritual vessels so the Holy Spirit can come in and do His work through us. When we have a lot of our own agendas and fleshly priorities filling our vessels, that is greatly impeded or prevented altogether. Let’s look at how some key people in the Scriptures dealt with clearing a path for the Lord.
In MT 3, we meet up with Christ’s first cousin, John the Baptist. What an interesting person he was! This man must have been a powerful speaker with a curious appearance dressed in camel skins and delivering his crucial message. In (3), Matthew said, “This man [referring to John the Baptist] was the man the prophet Isaiah was talking about [IS 40: 3] when he said, ‘Someone is shouting in the desert, prepare a road for the Lord; make a straight path for Him to travel.’ “ The last phrase in that citation is made up of simple words that can be complicated to carry out. Anyone who has had to work on expunging subtle but stubbornly present sin from their lives knows this. But, John the Baptist’s message is definitely necessary to get one started on the road to eternal life in Christ. MT 3: 2 gives us John’s all-important message, “Turn away from you sins, because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” When the devil hears words like that, he views them as fighting words. He wants us do the opposite. But, our Lord knows in His infinite wisdom that we cannot come to faith without repenting of our sins. At the risk of repeating myself, let me say that our loving Abba equips us to do anything He asks of us. So, Satan can definitely be defeated.
The idea of preparing a way for the Lord didn’t just pop up for the first time in the NT. God has shown us repeatedly in the OT that it is His desire that we know Him and believe He is the one and only Lord. The prophet Elijah is introduced to us in 1 Kings 17: 1 when he comes on the scene during the reign of King Ahab of Israel who became king during the 38th year of King Asa’s rule in Judah. Elijah prophesied a drought, “A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, ‘In the name of the Lord, the living God of Israel, Whom I serve, I tell you that there will be no dew or rain for the next two or three years until I say so.’ “ King Ahab was wicked to the core, as was his wife, Jezebel. They were believers in the pagan gods, particularly Baal. Since idolatry is the sin God hates the most, God was hardly pleased. The Lord Jehovah used Elijah to demonstrate His superiority over Baal in 1 Kings 18: 1-40, which I hope you will read. It is the story of how told Elijah to build an altar to Him while the prophets of Baal did the same to their idol. God sends fire down from heaven after nothing took place from the actions of the idol worshippers. In response (39), the people exclaim, “The Lord is God; the Lord alone is God!” after throwing themselves to the ground. For us today, this story leads me to a question: Must we see a miracle to come to faith? Only an individual can answer that question for himself/herself.
Even Jesus Christ understood that He had to prepare a way to do what the Father asked of Him. In MT 3: 13-15, Jesus arrives from Galilee to come upon His cousin John the Baptist at the Jordan River. He asked John to baptize Him, and John’s first response is to say, “ I ought to be baptized by You, and yet You have come to me.” Christ responds, “Let it be so for now. For in this way, we shall do all that God requires.” What humility and obedience these two reveal to us! MT 3: 16-17, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He came up out of the water. Then heaven was opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and lighting on Him. Then a voice said from heaven, ‘This is My own Son, in whom I am pleased.’ “ The lessons we can learn about preparing the way for our own faith to be real from these events are many. The pattern is clear. We must repent of our sins, approach the Lord in humility and willingness to obey. We must empty our vessels of personal agendas and put God’s agenda first. We must be baptized, so that we can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, following the example set for us by the Son. And, then there is one more step that is demonstrated by the story of Thomas.
Thomas (called the Twin), one of the twelve disciples, is highlighted in JN 20: 24-29. This incident takes place after Christ has risen and reappeared to several of the disciples without Thomas present. Thomas states in (25), “Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in His side, I will not believe.” A week later, the disciples were gathered inside with the doors locked. Christ came among them saying, “Peace be with you.” (28). He spoke to Thomas and invited him touch the wound on His side, admonishing the doubting disciple to “Stop your doubting and believe!” Thomas’ response in (28) was to say, “My Lord, my God!” The love that the Lord has for each of us is made crystal clear in JN 20: 29, 31. “Jesus said to [Thomas], ‘Do you believe because you see me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me!” The Scriptures have been written, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in Him, you may have life.” So Dear Ones, that next step on the road to eternal life is to believe with all your heart, mind, and soul that Jesus is the Lord of your life and your Messiah.
PRAYER: O Lord, we approach You in humble adoration with our desire to love and obey You. Help us to discover and erase the sin in our lives, so that we can prepare the way for true faith in Your Son and for the Holy Spirit to be at work in our lives. Guide us to always keep the paths of our souls cleared for You, while allowing us to know the warmth of Your abiding love for us. In Christ’s name, amen.
When John the Baptist reminds us that the Kingdom of God is at hand, this message gives me great hope that we will share that together. It is my desire that you also will feel the great hope that is in the messages of the Scriptures I share with you. So, Dear Friends, be encouraged that no matter what the difficulties of your earthly lives may be, that with faith in Him, we will be victorious together eternally. Peter and I send you lots of love today and always.
His Grace Be With You Now and Forever,
Lynn