July 23, Reading 2 – Isaiah 40

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

This word of comfort reminds us of two things – the Bible stands forever and will never disappear; our God is an awesome God. Do you see and feel that?

SJA Notes

* Dear God, please aright our hearts today as we read Your word.

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'”

John the Baptist, the human cousin of our King Jesus, he points to these words from Isaiah (we can read John’s words in Mark 1, Luke 3 and John 1).

This man who lived in the desert was the voice crying in the wilderness “Prepare the way of the Lord!”.

John was an evangelist, pointing people to Jesus.

And alongside the _voice_ we have a _place_, a location. The wilderness, the desert.

Generally we might think of these places as limited in life, nothing much growing.

Israel’s journey from Egypt to the Promised Land was a journey through the wilderness, trudging across deserts.

We read in Jeremiah 2 that Israel missed an opportunity (many times),

“They did not say, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, …'”

God led Israel through the wilderness after rescuing them out of Egypt. Jeremiah called on them to prepare the way of the LORD.

For us today the Lord has rescued us out of sin and placed us on the narrow way that leads to life.

And so the word of Isaiah, of Jeremiah, of John the Baptist – These words that are a singular word from God, is for us.

Are we pointing people to Jesus, the one who makes the crooked straight and brings life to the dead barren wilderness heart?

* Father God,

You made us. You save us. You draw us onwards toward glory.

Please help us today to point people to You. To tell of Your great love, to give You glory.

Amen.

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