In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight! John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were flocking to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. Matthew 3:1-6
My words…
Praise
You chose John, before he was born, to be the Herald of God. What an honor, to be the one to share the news that every child of Abraham had been waiting to hear. He knew exactly how to do it. He had read about himself in Isaiah and Malachi! He set himself apart from everyone else around him: he dressed in strange clothes, ate unappetizing food, and hung out in desolate places. But, lo, people flocked to see him, to hear him. You gave him a simple message directed to a specific audience: Israel! Get yourselves cleaned up! The King is coming! You knew Israel was not ready. It was a grimy nation, having committed all manner of sin. Yet the repentance of Israel was sought on a personal level when men and women asked, “How do I get clean? Tell me what to do.” And John did. So when the precious Lamb of God arrived on the scene, many were clean and ready. John stretched out the crooked path and made it straight for the King. You called him to do it, and he obeyed.
Prayer for me
From this passage, Your Spirit has taught me that I have a message to share just as John, the Herald of God: Get ready! The King is coming back! The pest control man who comes to my house writes scripture passages on his receipts – he’s a herald. The daycare worker who sends a child home singing, “Jesus loves me” – she’s a herald. It doesn’t take living in a field, wearing fur, and eating bugs. It just takes a heart overflowing with the desire to share my joy with others. Forgive me when I get preoccupied with worldly day-to-day stuff and lose sight of the reason for my joy and neglect to share it with others. Give me the strength of spirit to help stretch out the crooked path and make it straight for the coming of the King.
Prayer for others
There are so many lost souls around me. Some have closed their ears to a herald, but not all. Your Spirit is constantly at work in the hearts of those who are seeking You. I pray they will be drawn to ask, “What must I do to welcome the King when He comes again?” And when they hear the answer to that question, they will be drawn to a never-ending source of peace.
More praise
There are so many things in life to look forward to: the change of seasons, re-connecting with an old friend, reading a good book, hearing the laughter of children, feasting with family and friends, watching the sun set. I could go on and on. But none of these compares to the anticipation of the arrival of the Son of God in all of His glory. The herald’s cry will ring throughout the earth: THE KING IS HERE!
