"Preparing the Way . . . It's About the Heart"

Many years ago, the Lord impressed upon me (Jerry) the Scriptures whereby Zechariah prophesied over his newborn son, John the Baptist (Luke 1:67-79).  At that time I sensed a particular focus on verses 76-79:

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation

through the forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

79 to shine on those living in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

I have considered these verses to be one of my “life Scriptures,” and if I had to pick out one line that personally spoke to my heart, it would be “for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.”  Somehow, I knew that it was important for me to keep this focus in front to guide me in the years to follow, yet I didn’t really know what it all meant.

A Dream

Very recently I had a dream, and the essence of the dream was that I had been asked to preach a message at a particular church.  As it was getting closer to the scheduled date for me to preach, I apparently forgot that it was on the calendar!  (If you know me, that is NOT something I would do!)  I still went to the church to fulfill my obligation but I had nothing prepared and I was beside myself!  I found a small room a few minutes before the service where I went to pray and try to determine what the Lord would have me share.  As I did this, he brought to my mind Luke 1:76-79, and especially verse 76.  I took that as his direction and what was on his heart for the people to hear.  I went forward and was able to speak from my heart what these words mean to me and could also mean to everyone that was there.  The dream ended at that point.

What Could This Really Mean? . . . Going Deeper

I sensed that the Lord was bringing these Scriptures back to me for a reason and he wanted me to share with you. The call of John the Baptist was to prepare the way for Jesus and the Kingdom of God which was to come.  This was instilled in his heart and it was from there that he fulfilled that calling.  We are currently in the season of Advent in Christianity and we, too, are called to “prepare the way” by focusing on and celebrating what the Father (God) did for us by sending the Gift of his Son to earth and also to look forward to (prepare for) when Christ returns. 

But to go a little deeper, how do we “prepare the way?” When Denise and I were Christian Counselors for 25 years, we often thought of ourselves as “Evangelists of the Heart.”  It was a calling that came from God to help people find emotional and spiritual healing so that they could experience more of his heart—for themselves and thus for others.  In other words, we were “preparing the way” in the hearts of people so that the fullness of the good news of Christ could get to the places of hurt and pain.  But do you have to have a specific “ministry” to be a “preparer of the way?”  Absolutely not!  It all depends on your heart.  Once you have experienced—in your heart—what Christ has done for you when you have received him into your heart by faith, you become “one who prepares the way.”  It isn’t about what you do, though putting our faith into action is important, but if it doesn’t start from your heart, it will be very difficult to maintain.  So, how do you “prepare the way?”  You allow your heart to speak to those around you—may it be your spouse, children, relatives, co-workers, friends, neighbors or others.  When your heart has been touched by the love of the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, you have been “called” and you become one who has been “prepared” and you automatically prepare others by what flows out of your heart!

Please pray with me . . .

Father, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to earth to save me.  Jesus, thank you for being willing to fulfill your calling and for making a way for me to live free through the power of your Holy Spirit and to spend eternity with you.  Continue to heal my heart more and more.  You have called me—my heart--to “prepare the way”—so that your heart can be experienced by all whom I meet . . . this Christmas and beyond.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Blessings,

Jerry and Denise

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