“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” (Isaiah 40:4, ESV)
There are barriers that we put in front of God. God is seeking us. He is on the move. He desires to enter into our lives just as he entered into the world as a baby born in Bethlehem.
But what gets in the way?
Our pride! We think that we don’t need him. We have money. We have friends. We have family. We have education. We have our looks. We have ingenuity. We have technology. We have doctors and hospitals. We have political biases. We have it all. It is the mountains of pride we raise up. But Isaiah calls them to be lowered.
Our doubt. We encounter grief and sorrow. There are roadblocks to our dreams. There are financial challenges. There is the betrayal by friends and loved ones. We might think that God has given up on us. We might think the principalities and rulers of this world are too much. It is the valleys of doubt that we go down. But Isaiah calls them to be raised up.
Our distraction. Life is filled with bumps. We are so busy and hurried. There is the stress of work. There are the schedules we keep. There is mind-numbing entertainment we engross ourselves in for hours. There is never enough time or money. Life is filled with hard knocks. It is rough and bumpy. But Isaiah calls the rough places to be smooth.
Know that there is no barrier that God cannot overcome. As much as we resist him, he will still come to us. Nevertheless, to prepare the way is to live repentant. It is to examine the ways that we are hindering God’s work in our lives. Confess it. And then amend it. Seek him by making way for him into your heart.
Reflection
- What are the barriers you are putting before God?
- How do can you break down those barriers?
Prayer
Lord, lower the mountains of pride in my life. Raise up the valleys of doubt. Make the rough spots in my life smooth. Make a way into my heart. Do it so that you would receive greater glory and honor through the life I live. Tear down the barriers and enter into my heart. Amen.
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