"A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make
straight in the wilderness the path for our God. Every valley shall be
raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall
become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will
be revealed, and all humankind together will see it. For the mouth of the
Lord has spoken(NIV)."
The Word of the Lord.
Why does God not exclusively draw near to us via paths already established? On many occasions God does. For example, we sense His presence in long standing practices like quiet times, weekly worship, small groups, songs, and other spiritual rituals - all very meaningful. And than on other occasions, we discover that God wants to prepare a new path for us.
The new path does not rid us of the old ones. That is a common, wrong assumption. It is not a replacement for long-standing patterns but rather an addition. It's a means for God to grow us in new ways ensuring the avoidance of complacency and mundaneness. It's His higher ways that are not our own. God's Spirit is always moving forward.
A new path in could be simple if God would only choose an area of our heart that involves least resistance. There are plenty of those areas. But God wants a new path in the wilderness - in the untamed, unrefined, under-regarded, uncultivated, under-developed places that we wrongly assumed were not important to God. And because of this, work is involved.
We first must address the low points. Valleys of hurt and despair and disillusionment cannot remain. They are not meant to be a permanent tourist attraction in our lives. They must be raised up. Not forgotten but filled.
Secondly, the big and small obstacles must be removed. Mountains seem unmovable. But with only a little bit of faith, Jesus encourages, they can be gone. Most obstacles are reduced one shovel full at a time. In other words, it takes work and therein lies the frustration. We lament, "If God wants this obstacle out of the way than why doesn't He damn well remove it himself?'" God is our strength and energy but He does not force our hands to the shovel. He co-labors with our wills.
And thirdly, rough and rugged edges need to be smoothed. Valleys and mountains are easily known but rough edges tend to be in our blind spots. We often don't know they exist but others close to us do. And so now we must invite others into our preparation of a new path. There is a kind of strange harmony that surfaces when a trusted companion speaks truth into our lives. It is one of the few moments in life were humiliation and love become partners. Like a fine wine paired well with the perfect food. And so we receive it as a gift. And the rugged places loose their ruggedness.
Well now the way for a new path is complete. Now the time has come for all to notice how much we have changed. For compliments and spiritual fame to emerge as others take note of our accomplishment. Right? Not at all. The establishment of a new path is so that people notice us less and the glory of God more. Utterly incomprehensible and magnificent at the same time. The highest indication that a wilderness area of our heart has become a new path is seen in who gets the fame and glory.
"And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all humankind
together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Ex nihilo,
R.J. Rhoden
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