Preparation of the way of the Lord III
Dear children of God, once again I welcome to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”!
We have established that God only comes when we have prepared the way for Him. We can do that by ministering to Him and fulfilling His calling in our lives. We pointed out that we have to use all possible means to preach the Gospel of Kingdom in this world, because that is the necessary prerequisite for the Coming of the Lord in glory and power. Let’s look at one more verse from the Scripture that talk about preparing the way of the Lord.
«Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts» (Malachi, 3:1).
God desire to come; He wants to touch His people – to save, deliver and heal His children. But unless we are prepared for His visitation, He won’t come. It is our readiness that precedes God’s readiness to come. Christ will come to those who seek Him and expect Him that is to those who have prepared the way of the Lord.
«…so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation» (Hebrews, 9:28).
When we are ready, God will come as He has promised and He won’t delay. Let’s prepare the way for Him! In order for us to do that, we have to pay a price, and we mustn’t fear. Let’s pay the price, otherwise all of our activities are just a game of ‘playing church’.
How can we prepare the way of the Lord? What is the price we should pay for it?
The price includes being alone with God.
Let’s build an altar for God – a place of daily communion with God. The following verse calls us to it. «Gather My saints together to Me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice» (Psalm, 50:5) (see also Exodus, 20:24-26; Genesis, 8:20; 1 Kings, 18:30).
The price includes personal holiness and purity.
The Bible talks about the pure of heart that will see God. And God calls us to purify ourselves from the filth of flesh and spirit so that we could prepare the way of the Lord. «Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God» (Mathew, 5:8). (see also Exodus, 19:10-11, 15; 2 Corinthians, 7:1).
The price includes humble living.
It says in the Bible that God gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud. Pride is the spirit of Antichrist, and humility is the spirit of Christ. God abides with the humble. Humility before God is the key to healing and revival.
«Thus says the LORD: „Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and ll those things exist,” says the LORD. „But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.”» (Isaiah, 66:1-2). (see also Psalm, 138:6; 2 Chronicles, 7:14).
The price includes great faith and expectation of God’s glory.
God won’t come where there is no expectation. You need faith to please God. «But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him» (Hebrews, 11:6). Faith is confidence in the unseen and expectations of promises. We must expect the fulfilment of the promise of His coming. We must expect the appearance of His glory.
«Lift up your eyes all around, and see: they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side» (Isaiah, 60:4).
We must expect the fulfilment of God’s promise that the earth will be filled with God’s glory. And this expectation should motivate us for action and work. We must ‘work out’ our expectation.
God bless you!
Pastor Rufus Ajiboye
