Are You Ready for Some Football?

Isaiah 40:3-5

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2040%3A3-5&version=NIV;NLT

  

Football is in the air. High school, college and NFL teams are all preparing for the beginning of their fall season. But preparations began much earlier. The same is true for the Big Ten Network (BTN). They began preparing for the first game of the fall a long time ago.

 

For example, during the month of April each school’s spring game is televised. Then in late July, the two-day Big Ten Media Days are on the air for hours at a time. Once the Media Days are over, programming is peppered with previous years’ regular season games, bowl games and special programs. Finally, for three weeks in August, BTN airs their Bus Tour of fall practices for every school.

 

All of this is to prepare us, the fans, for the season to begin; to get us hyped up! Are you ready for some football?

 

³ Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God! ⁴ Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.          NLT

 

In ancient times, when eastern monarchs would set out on an expedition, they deployed

advanced workers who would prepare the way for the monarch. Like Isaiah describes, they would build a road that was worthy of their king.

 

When he wrote this, Isaiah likely had in mind the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. For us, we normally think of it as a reference to John the Baptist preparing people for the Messiah to arrive.

 

The bigger picture is that God is always at work in our lives. He is always “clearing the way through the wilderness for the Lord”.  He is constantly at work preparing our hearts, our circumstances, our relationships and our experiences to bring us closer to Him and to serve Him with a devoted heart.

 

When I say “always”… I mean “ALWAYS”! You think BTN spends a lot of time and money to prepare you for football season? God does eternally more to prepare you for Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White as Snow

Malachi 3:1 (NIV)
"See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. 


John the Baptist is the messenger referred to here, as the one who will prepare the way. Then Jesus is another messenger, the One who is the messenger of the covenant. John the Baptist's message was meant to prepare the way for Jesus' message.

So, what are these communications about? What did John the Baptist have to say that warranted mention of him in the old testiment?  Isaiah 40:3 says: "A voice cries in the wilderness, prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

The roads in ancient times were not paved, not smooth and easy to travel upon. When a city knew someone important was coming to visit they spent a lot of time, money and energy to prepare the roads. Often it meant straightening out the trail, removing obstacles and tripping hazards along the way.

These words in Malachi are calling the people of that day to get ready. Not to just prepare for safe travels for the visitor, but for each individual to get ready for His coming. We hear similar messages in church and in our Bible studies. Get ready, prepare your hearts and get right with God and one another.

We read in verse 2b: "For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap." Fuller's soap is a strong launderer's, an alkali used to bleach or whiten cloth, or purification. Malachi is reminding God's people to tithe. The get their hearts right and their priorities straight. He reminds us today as well.

Malachi 3:1-4