hard hat required...

Prepare the way for the Lord,

make His beaten paths straight.

Every valley and ravine shall be filled up,

and every mountain and hill shall be leveled;

and the crooked places shall be made straight,

and the rough roads shall be made smooth...

Luke 3:4-5 Amp

Preparing the way of holiness... the paving of the journey... continues to come up in my readings...

And I think... about preparing my own way... I see a lot of work that needs to be done... heavy work... road construction...

How much work is involved to fill a valley... or a ravine...? That's a lot of shoveling...

Leveling mountains...? is this where we get the filler...?

Straightening crooked places... requires cutting new paths... forging a new way...

Smoothing rough roads... the detail work... may require continual maintenance...

The potential for landslides... and avalanches... is great...

And I see John... out in the wilderness... preparing the way... not only for himself (through his obedience to God's call)... but for others... preaching...

Some gratefully receive...

Some harangue and harass... 

Perhaps this road construction... preparing the way of hearts... requires a hard hat...

I think about Ezekiel... whom God blessed with a hard head... to go along with his call... to a rebellious people...

I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock!

Ezekiel 3:9 NLT

Speaking truth... is dangerous... risky... and may require a hard head.... but it cannot be done... with a hard heart...

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV

So if you're feeling called to speak truth... prepare the way for the Lord... in the life of a loved-one... family member... friend... co-worker... be sure to put on your hard hat... the helmet of salvation... or pray for a hard head... but be tenderhearted... kind... compassionate...

This is the Way... we all grow... as we journey together... making the way... for Him...

[Apologies... for having forgotten to include the readings for The Journey on yesterday's post... ]

This week's readings... for The Journey...

Monday             John 9

Tuesday             John 10

Wednesday        John 11:1-44

Thursday            John 11:45 - 12:26

Friday                John 12:27 - 13:20