A Highway
by Carol Hubing
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare 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 brought low; The crooked places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’” (Isaiah 40:3-5)
This Messianic promise speaks of a time when the LORD will return to His people as a triumphant king. Watts states: “The heart of this announcement, the reason for the messages of good news, is that Yaweh is returning to take up residence in Jerusalem again. This calls for royal preparations'' (p.80). A road is to be prepared ahead for Yaweh’s arrival so that He can travel in glory and ease. Every obstacle is to be removed and whatever is wrong in the road needs to be corrected. Some locations are too low and need to be elevated. Some places are too high and need to be brought low. Still other places are crooked and rough. In whichever case, it all needs to be taken care of before Yaweh’s glory is revealed.
The Holy Spirit is diligently preparing a highway in the hearts of God’s people so that we collectively can become a habitation for His presence. I believe specifically in these days that we’ve set apart for fasting and prayer, the Lord is exposing low, high, crooked and rough places in the highways of our hearts. Many of us carry wounds from our upbringing and childhood that have never fully healed. We operate by way of Christian coping mechanisms rather than from the Shalom (wholeness) of God that is intended. These places must be built up. We also have haughty ‘high’ places in our hearts fortified with compromise, selfishness, pride and independence that need to be brought low. We attempt to live for God in our own strength, all the while looking like the world from which we are called out. We continue to carry crooked mindsets shaped by unrenewed minds and negative experiences--not fully shaped by the Truth of the Word that often leads to wrong priorities and decisions. Still others of us have the rough edges of our carnal nature that prohibits the full nature and character of Christ from shining forth. What obstacles on the highway of your heart is the Lord highlighting over this fast? He longs for His glory to be ‘revealed to all flesh’ in this hour! We must individually embrace the preparation first here in our heart if we are ever to become a people who can in turn carry His restoration to others (Isa. 61:1). May King Jesus so capture us that we collectively ready a highway for both a fresh outpouring of His Spirit in our region and ultimately for His return!
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare 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 brought low; The crooked places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’” (Isaiah 40:3-5)
This Messianic promise speaks of a time when the LORD will return to His people as a triumphant king. Watts states: “The heart of this announcement, the reason for the messages of good news, is that Yaweh is returning to take up residence in Jerusalem again. This calls for royal preparations'' (p.80). A road is to be prepared ahead for Yaweh’s arrival so that He can travel in glory and ease. Every obstacle is to be removed and whatever is wrong in the road needs to be corrected. Some locations are too low and need to be elevated. Some places are too high and need to be brought low. Still other places are crooked and rough. In whichever case, it all needs to be taken care of before Yaweh’s glory is revealed.
The Holy Spirit is diligently preparing a highway in the hearts of God’s people so that we collectively can become a habitation for His presence. I believe specifically in these days that we’ve set apart for fasting and prayer, the Lord is exposing low, high, crooked and rough places in the highways of our hearts. Many of us carry wounds from our upbringing and childhood that have never fully healed. We operate by way of Christian coping mechanisms rather than from the Shalom (wholeness) of God that is intended. These places must be built up. We also have haughty ‘high’ places in our hearts fortified with compromise, selfishness, pride and independence that need to be brought low. We attempt to live for God in our own strength, all the while looking like the world from which we are called out. We continue to carry crooked mindsets shaped by unrenewed minds and negative experiences--not fully shaped by the Truth of the Word that often leads to wrong priorities and decisions. Still others of us have the rough edges of our carnal nature that prohibits the full nature and character of Christ from shining forth. What obstacles on the highway of your heart is the Lord highlighting over this fast? He longs for His glory to be ‘revealed to all flesh’ in this hour! We must individually embrace the preparation first here in our heart if we are ever to become a people who can in turn carry His restoration to others (Isa. 61:1). May King Jesus so capture us that we collectively ready a highway for both a fresh outpouring of His Spirit in our region and ultimately for His return!