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Everyone who has ever driven on the open road knows full well how aggravating it is to be diverted onto a "detour" route and away from the more direct route you had chosen to travel. Yet when road surfaces are torn up in the process of being repaired - graded, filled in, leveled, whatever - progress along such routes becomes difficult if not impossible.
In the spiritual life of the believer, the very same reality holds true. Here in the example of Israel as she came to the end of her years of captivity under the Babylonian dynasty, we discover in God's words of comfort through His prophet Isaiah a wonderful challenge for restoration that will fit our lives very nicely today as well.
Note first the command to "clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness." As He rescued them from their bondage, Jehovah wanted nothing to stand between Himself and His people as true restoration of spirit and heart took place. And He certainly wanted nothing of what had sent them into captivity in the first place in any way to mar their relationship in the future. But how were they to "clear the way" so that this relationship could be maintained?
His first instruction was for them to "let every valley be lifted up." Valleys are low places, beloved, and can represent to us today those fallen places in our lives wherein we have lowered the standard of God's righteousness in our living. These low places need to be brought back into line with the Word of God!
He further instructed them to "let every mountain and hill be made low." Hills by contrast are high places and can represent to us today those exalted places wherein we have allowed our own self-righteousness to prevail and have been self-seeking in our ways. These high places need to be "made low" in the sense of forsaking our own agendas and seeking to focus our living upon Jesus Christ alone.
He then instructed them to "let the rough ground become a plain." Such places can represent to us those paths that are blocked by the "rubble" of this world, making spiritual headway difficult or even impossible. Such places need to have all obstacles removed so that free and full access and progress are possible.
Finally, God instructed His people to "let the rugged terrain become a broad valley." Here the idea of "rugged" is that of something that is "crooked" or not straight. These places can represent those times in our lives when our feet have wandered down other paths, enticed perhaps by the pleasures of this world so readily available. These places need to be "straightened" so that we can walk the straight and narrow of God's perfect holiness.
And what will happen as our own personal "road work" is accomplished? God's promise is that "the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together." Would you exhibit the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in your living, beloved? Then we each need to get busy with some "road work" of our own! Our "filled-in, leveled, cleaned-up, straightened out" lives will make God's glory in Christ Jesus so visible to others that all in our world will be able to see it! Famed songwriter Baylus Benjamin ("B.B.") McKinney described such road work in our lives in a beautiful hymn written in 1924:
"While passing through this world of sin, and others your life shall view,
Be clean and pure without, within; let others see Jesus in you.
Let others see Jesus in you; let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story; be faithful and true; let others see Jesus in you."
Be clean and pure without, within; let others see Jesus in you.
Let others see Jesus in you; let others see Jesus in you.
Keep telling the story; be faithful and true; let others see Jesus in you."
Are your own personal "work zone" signs posted and visible, beloved? Then let's get to work!
Ron
Ron
