Every valley shall be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low; The rugged land shall be a plain, the rough country, a broad valley. Isaiah 40:4 NABRE
This chapter of the prophet Isaiah begins with an anonymous voice proclaiming the Lord’s consolation and calling on the prophet himself to proclaim the word of God and that His message of salvation will endure forever. This proclamation is addressed to the people of Jerusalem who have been in exile in Babylon. When this is spoken many decades have passed since the people saw the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon and they were forced to leave the city as captives of the Babylonian victory. Their time in Babylon is looked upon as years of suffering and atonement for their sins. It is now time for them to return to Jerusalem with the Lord’s help and so they set out on the return journey. As the Lord is leading the people it won’t be a difficult journey. They will find a way opened up for them by the Lord and they will see evidence of the power of God. The words spoken by this anonymous voice invites them to begin and fills them with hope. The words of the quoted verse describe actions taken by a people when their king plans to travel from one place to another. The terrain was difficult for a king and his large retinue, so workers would go before the king’s trip and level the valleys and mountains, they would smooth the rough country and the broad valley, all as if they were making a “road” for the king and his accompaniment to travel with ease. This is how God takes care of His people, He treats them as kings.
We hear in these verses words used by John the Baptist as he proclaims the coming of a king, Jesus. God does everything possible to let His people know they are the most important to Him.
Do you see your value to God? Can you recognize the path God clears from you to Him?
God takes care of His people, He treats them as kings and does everything possible to let His people know they are the most important to Him. Click To Tweet#bible’#godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #path #return #Isaiah #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #pray #prayer #goodnews #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways