Week of December 4, 2020

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. 6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (Luke 3:4&6, NKJV).

We have to prepare to practice the presence of God in our lives. John the Baptist was God's messenger to help people prepare to receive the Savior of the world. John preached this message, "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2). Well, there were some who heard his message and were prepared when He did come; such as the disciples, their hearts were prepared. Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the Living God."

Some were obviously unprepared to follow Jesus and missed the opportunity. In Luke 9:57-62, one after another made excuses why they could not follow Jesus. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were largely unprepared for His arrival. They knew the Messiah was coming, and they even knew where He would be born. Yet when the word came that the Savior had been born, they made no effort to go and find out for themselves.

If we are unprepared, we, too, will miss the opportunity to experience Jesus. While others encounter the Lord personally in worship, our hearts will be unmoved if we are unprepared. Religious activity can never substitute for a heart that seeks the presence of God. Let's pray as the psalmist did, that God will examine our heart and reveal anything that would stand in the way of us practicing the presence of God in our life.

God Bless, Pastor Rick