May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this morning as we meditate in His Holy Word. Let us turn to the prophecy of
Isaiah chapter 40 and we'll read verses 3, 4 and 5. So the prophecy of Isaiah chapter
40 and reading verses 3, 4 and 5. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make straight
in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted. And every mountain and hill shall
be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the
rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord shall
be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth
of the Lord hath spoken it. we are favoured to live in New
Testament times and we have the New Testament which of course
explains to us in so many ways the wonderful prophecies which
were given by God to the Old Testament prophets who wrote
the Old Testament and we should be We're very thankful today
that we have the New Testament. Sometimes it's good just to try
and put ourselves in a position without the New Testament and
to read the Old Testament and to wonder what we would think.
As we read a chapter like this in the 40th of Isaiah, quite
clearly it is a prophetic chapter with regards to the Lord Jesus,
regard to the Church of God. But how mysterious in so many
ways are the words which are recorded in Isaiah. And yet how wonderful again to
just consider and realize that God breathed these words into
the prophets and into Isaiah as he actually wrote these great
and glorious truths. And again, trying to put ourselves
in their position. I wonder what they felt and thought
as they were writing these words. But we see what a wonderful God
we have. What a great God we have, who
instructed those many writers who wrote the Old Testament.
And there's no contradiction in the Word of God. It all flows
together. And many parts explain other
parts. It is really a very wonderful
and glorious book that God has given to us. And we should recognize
the great depth that it contains. It's not something which is just
on the surface. As we read, there is a deep that
captures beneath, underneath the surface, this great and glorious
truths. Well, we should always bear that
in mind as we read the word and sometimes perhaps very often
we might read verses or read chapters and not understand really
what they mean well we shouldn't therefore just say well I can't
understand that and that's it full stop we should be concerned
that we might understand the great truths and that we might
read the word prayerfully you know we're wonderfully blessed
in the day and age in which we live because there are many people
who have had The Word of God opened up to them very clearly,
and they recorded their thoughts. There are many books which describe
the wonderful truths that have been revealed to them in the
Word of God, and we should not belittle such work. we should
be thankful that there have been those who've been raised up to
write out some of those glorious mysteries. Well, here we have
this morning before us these three verses and it's important
to realise that it of course directs us to John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the voice
of him that crieth in the wilderness and We can read the truth of
that in the first chapter of John's Gospel. When we read what
John the Baptist said, he realised that he was the one who God had
called to be the one who was to speak, the one who was to
go before the great and glorious Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And as I'm sure you will remember,
he was born just a few months before the Lord Jesus Christ. And he was used to wonderfully
speak the great truths of God and to bring people to recognize
the need for repentance. Well, that need has not diminished. The need is still as great today
as it was when John the Baptist was called to proclaim the great
truths of the gospel and the great truths concerning the Lord
Jesus Christ. And so we read here, the voice
of him that crieth in the wilderness. He comes and he says, prepare
ye the way of the Lord. Prepare the way for the Lord. And it was, of course, important
in those days that the way was prepared. and of course it was
wonderful as you may read that first chapter in John it's a
wonderful chapter I always think it starts off with a wonderful
explanation really of the Trinity and the greatness of God and
it goes through and speaks about the Lord Jesus Christ as he was
directed and was baptized by John and John tells us he saw
the dove descending upon him and the wonderful words of God
the Father, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And then he goes on to speak
to the people and say, Behold, the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who taketh away the sin of the world. It's a wonderful
chapter, a chapter we should never weary in reading, because
it speaks so gloriously the great truths of the gospel. Well, here
we have this statement this morning. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. It was very
relevant, therefore, in that day that the way might be prepared
for the Lord Jesus Christ when he would be revealed. The hearts
of men might be prepared. And that hasn't changed, you
may say. Well, it has changed. Well, it hasn't in this respect.
because we still need our hearts today to be prepared prepared
prepare you the way of the Lord prepare to understand the Lord's
way to understand the path that the Lord has directed us in and
our hearts to be prepared to receive his word we can often
find that we are not prepared and are not very concerned about
it. We are blessed and I hope we
realise we are blessed with the Lord's Day that we can gather
together for worship, but I wonder if we are always really concerned
that our hearts may be prepared to receive God's Word. It's another Lord's Day today,
isn't it? We got up in the morning and
I wonder what our thoughts have been when we got up. Whether
our thoughts have been and desire has been that our hearts may
be prepared to receive the Word of God. You know, we have a parable
in the Bible of the sower, and it describes four types of hearers. And three of those types really
did not profit. No, there were various reasons
why they did not profit, and it was only just the fourth type
where the seed fell into good ground, which God had prepared
to receive the word. Was there So we could say that
means there's only 25% of people that listen to the Word of God
receive anything which is of lasting good. Because if our
heart is not rightly repaired, these things may just sink into
our minds just for a short time and then vanish away and they're
not of any real good. I wonder then this morning whether
we have been concerned with our heart has been prepared to worship
God, because we should recognize that it is a wonderful privilege
that we have today of being able to worship God. Consider the
many, many countries of the world, the many, many millions or billions
of people who do not worship God whose hearts are not prepared
and they go on their way in this world aimlessly just seeking
after things of time carnal things fleshly things no real concern
about their condition of their eternal soul so what a wonderful
blessing and it's a wonderful favour and I hope we appreciate
it is a favour to be able to come and hear the Gospel preached
and have the Word of God read, never belittle the privilege,
never belittle the wonderful favour that is. So here we have
this statement, prepare ye the way of the Lord, that our hearts
may be prepared to consider the way of the Lord. The way of the
Lord in our lives. The way of the Lord which is
set before us very clearly in the Word of God. And the way
of the Lord which brings us to that situation and condition
where by the grace of God we consider Him. The way of the
Lord. Prepare to consider the way of
the Lord. The Lord looks in our hearts,
and none of us know what is going on in the person sitting beside
us. You see, God is gracious, God
is sovereign, and you and I can look at people and assess them
naturally, but you know, God looks not at the outward appearance. God looks at the heart. And what a mercy it is if your
heart and my heart is right with God that means that we have a
real concern that we are prepared for worship we are prepared for
God to be with us and to guide us and direct us and we don't
have preconceived ideas often we can have ideas and we think
that would be nice if that happened and if that occurred well it's
a good thing to come to God and not come with preconceived ideas. I often think of that little
account recorded in the Chronicles of Javis. He comes to God in
prayer, very simply, and he doesn't give a whole list of what he
wants to happen. He comes and he says, O that
thou wouldst bless me indeed. And that's a very comprehensive
statement, and it's a very wonderful statement. And we can believe
that if God gives us that prayer, to pray honestly from our heart,
and without any other bits added to it, to come and pray, O that
thou wouldst bless me indeed, the Lord will hear an answer. Such a prayer is that because
the Lord knows his plan for your life and my life. We don't know
what that plan is. But what a good thing it is to
realise that we have a God who has planned our life. Planned
our life and guided us and will guide us and therefore direct
us and not lead us. Leave us to ourselves to go some
false way. So what an instruction it is.
Prepare ye the way of the Lord. And he goes on to expound this
in this way. Make straight in the desert highway
for our God well we know what a highway is
don't we we know what a highway is naturally with roads in a
straight thing we know that could be in a desert a path through
the desert and a highway and he says make straight in the
desert a highway for our God that means a for us today to
be led and directed by God in a straight path. Yes, and a path
that God has ordained and a God that blesses us in that path. Sometimes it's good to realise
what the Lord Jesus spoke when he addressed the disciples in
the upper room and he said in the 15th chapter of John, you
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you. You should go and bring forth
fruit, your fruit should remain. You see the purpose of God in
the believer's life is to bless that person that they may be
fruitful That means they may bring forth spiritual blessings
which shall set forth and show forth God's love, God's mercy,
God's grace and God's compassion. And what a blessing it is therefore
if therefore there is this straight way in the desert You might think
in a desert there won't be very much profit, there won't be very
much benefit. Well, God does sometimes lead
his people in a desert way, but yet it's the right way. Sometimes
in that kind of place we learn a lot. We learn a lot and you
might say, why do we... I believe we can learn things
in a desert path because there's not things to distract us. You and I can so easily be distracted
in the day and age in which we live. Just like you and I can
come and sit in chapel and be distracted, can't we? The devil's
very keen to distract us. He doesn't want us to listen
to God's Word. And therefore, he's a past master
at bringing into your heart and my mind, your mind as well, things
which do not profit but tickle our fancy And we just carry on
thinking about these things which are of no true benefit. But what
a blessing it is when this voice of God, as it was through John
the Baptist all those years ago, prepare you the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God, a place where God
comes and meets with us, where there is room indeed for God. Sometimes our lives becomes so
busy with all the things of time there's no room for God and God
is pushed to one side and we prioritise poor things of time
rather than prioritising the things of God well I'll make
straight in the desert a highway for our God not just a little
lane not just a little by-road but a highway an important place
where God comes and meets with us where we come and meet with
God where our souls are eternally blessed a highway well I wonder
if we know what it is to be directed to the highway yes where God
meets with us and we meet with him and we enjoy that communion
and we're instructed and we're directed and we realize it's
part of the journey as you and I journey on through life yes
what a mercy make straight in the desert straighten out crooked
things perhaps we got crooked things in our lives and perhaps
they've distracted us what a good thing is when they're made straight
they're direct directs us to Almighty God directs us truly
worship the creator of all things and directs us to seek for spiritual
blessings don't forget the devil doesn't want you to think about
spiritual blessings he wants you only to think about the things
of this life and your natural life and how you can better yourself
and how you can improve your natural life and how you can
Have this and have that. Don't forget there is but one
thing needful and that means the knowledge of Christ is more
precious than gold. The most valuable thing you and
I can possess is the knowledge of of the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore here is this word
here, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Let not
other things creep in to distract you. and to turn you away from
the great and important things of God. Let us always remember
our life is just as a vapor. It quickly vanishes away and
then eternity. That's a great issue, isn't it?
That's a great issue that you and I must be concerned about. Prepare you the way of the Lord.
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. And then he said,
every valley shall be exalted. You may think, well, I'm in the
valley. I'm in the valley. You know,
a valley, there's not much light, is there? Valleys, they can be
very dark, really. And often valleys, the going
is difficult, there's many trees and bushes and stuff to slow
us down. Well, here says the Lord, every
valley shall be exalted. Yes, you may be heavy laden in
a valley. You may be in a valley with the
burden of sin which drags you down. And it's hard going. You wonder how you will persevere. Well, we are encouraged to wait
on the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Pray unto Him
in this valley. Every valley shall be exalted. If you are a true child of God
who really believes and really seeks unto God, then you can
have confidence that you will be exalted, you will be brought
up, you will be strengthened, you will be encouraged. Just
like really, David tells us in the 40th Psalm, he brought me
up also out of a horrible pit, out of the M�ori clay, and set
my feet upon a rock, and established my gains, and put a new song
in my heart, even praise unto Oh my God, many shall see it
What a blessing it is therefore to realise that we have a God
who exalts us, brings us up into a wealthy place. You know, you
won't be brought into a wealthy place unless you've been brought
down to stop, to begin with. The beginning is to bring us
down. The beginning is to make us needy. The beginning is to make us seek
unto the Lord. The beginning is to make us cry
unto God that he will have mercy upon us. You can remember the
case, surely, of the prodigal son, where he went down, didn't
he? He went out full, he thought
he was going to enjoy himself. He came into the valley, a dark
valley. And in that dark valley, what
happened? He began to be in want. He began to be in want. Yeah,
he spent all his All that he'd had in riotous living and so-called
enjoyment in this life that didn't do him any good. He began to
be in want. What a blessed truth that is. You and I begin to be in want. You see, and therefore there's
a fulfilment really of this word. Every valley shall be exalted. And we know if we follow that
parable of the prodigal son how He was exalted. Quite amazing,
wasn't it? He came back, as you know, and
his father was looking for him. It was on the outlook. It's very humbling, really, to
realise that we have that as a picture for us today. God doesn't
deal with us as our sins deserve. He dealt with With a prodigal
son we realized in love and his father was looking for him and
when he came he embraced him and set forth and got the best
robe and put it on him and there was a feast provided. Didn't
deserve it did he? Nor do we. But what a wonderful mercy then
to realise that in His case, this was true, every valley shall
be exalted. What a mercy in your life and
my life to think the Lord doesn't leave us. He brings us up out
of the horrible pit and out of the mahri clay and sets our feet
upon a rock. The rock Christ Jesus What a
glorious change. What an amazing difference. Every
valley shall be exalted. And then he also says, and every
mountain and hill shall be made low. You see, if we have a wrong
view of things, if we think we're doing all right in religion,
really we're pretty pleased with what we're doing, well, usually
that's a false impression. Usually that's of the flesh.
And we're resting on what we've done, rather than resting on
what God's done. It's a big difference, isn't
it? You see, because what we've done,
the intention is to bring honour and glory to ourselves. We boast upon what we've done,
how we've done it, why we've done it. But God's way is to
bring us to boast in His work, what He's done, not what we've
done, because that brings honour and glory to Him. So it's really
important that you and I, in our lives, are able to observe
what God has done for us. And it does have two ways, really. It has what God's done for us
naturally, which is important, And then what God's done for
us spiritually, which is more important. So perhaps we've had
to understand that God has brought us down in our own estimation. At one time we were very proud
of ourselves and our attainments, and God has shown us this great
truth, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. That means they're not of any
value at all. But if you and I possess the
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is a blessing which
will never be removed. You see the difference? We won't
be able to boast of what we've done to achieve it, but we will
be able to boast in what God has done on our behalf to give
it to us. So we have then, we come to an
understanding that this word is indeed true. And the crooked
shall be made straight and the rough places plain. Again, the
Lord sometimes brings us through rough times. rough times, difficult
times, perhaps things that we don't understand. And they're
rough times, but it's wonderful when God brings us through a
rough time and it's smooth and it's plain. We realize God's
hand is upon us. That's a great blessing, isn't
it? To know that God is dealing with us as sons and daughters. If you're left to your own way,
if you're left to just carry on aimlessly in this world, you
can believe that God is not with you. But if you are finding life
difficult, not easy, opposition, hardship, in one way or another,
you can believe that God is training you. He's directing you. He's teaching you. He's teaching
you to not look to yourself. He's teaching you to look to
the Lord Jesus Christ. to bring you into the great truth
of that wonderful statement in the 45th chapter of this same
prophecy in the 22nd verse where we're told so very wonderfully
and clearly about God's kind and gracious direction and leading
us in the right way look unto Me not anywhere else, look unto
Me and be ye saved Now if God's brought you into that place where
you desire to know that you are saved you see if we're satisfied
with our religion we won't really be very concerned about whether
we're saved but what a mercy it is when God brings us into
a concern to know that we are right for eternity And the very
clear direction is spoken of here. Look unto me. There we
are, you see, in a rough path. And yet the Lord, in that rough
path, shows us the right way. Look unto me. Look unto me. And, you see, linked with this,
and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and
there is none else. There's no other way. Jesus is
the way. I am the way. The truth and the
life. There's no other way. What a
mercy it is, therefore, if God brings you through the rough
places and brings you into the plain way, the plain path, so
you can then come and rejoice in God. And in that path, The
third verse tells us then what would happen. And the glory of
the Lord shall be revealed. What it means is you will then
appreciate and understand the wonder of God's leading, the
wonder of God's direction, and to have the revelation that you
are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. And you see,
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. That's wonderful, isn't
it? That God comes and reveals himself
as your Saviour. He's brought you through. He's
brought you along. He's quickened you, made you
spiritually alive, and caused you to come and to glory in the
work of God, glory in His love, glory in His mercy, and glory
in His amazing grace. Yes, what a blessing. And the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed. You see, the Lord has a set time
to favour Zion. He has a set time to bless our
souls, a set time to reveal Himself unto us as He does not unto the
world. And in that situation, you see,
the Lord shall be revealed. And how humbling it is to think
that God, in love to our soul, reveals Himself as our all-sufficient
Saviour. Yes, He is the Saviour of sinners. He is a great and glorious God
and how wonderful it is that you and I come to this situation
and surely every true believer comes to this position because
this is the position which glorifies God and that is the purpose of
our life on this earth to glorify God and the glory of the Lord
shall be revealed. Yes, we reveal the wonderful
plan of God, His glorious salvation. And to think that that was worked
out in eternity past, that makes it all the more glorious and
all the more wonderful to realize that nothing's come by chance. Nothing ever can come by chance. It's all ordained by Almighty
God and then to have these things revealed to our souls so that
we can then rejoice in what God has done and realize how wonderful
it is to think that the Creator of all things has looked upon
us, looked upon you, looked upon me. Utterly insignificant. worthless little thing on the
earth. And yet, one who God has loved
with an everlasting love. And so, and the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. You see, this is something which
cannot be hid. Cannot be hid. God's work may
be hidden inside. As it begins, my friends, as
that works out, it is revealed. And there is the evidence that
God has worked in our hearts. There has been a change. I am
a new creature by the grace of God. And all flesh shall see
it together. Because our lives are for the
glory of God. That's why it's to be seen. A
miracle of grace. God's people are miracles of
grace. Miracles of God's unmerited favour. And what a wonderful blessing.
If you and I have the evidence of that in our own hearts that
the Lord has been gracious to us and loved us with everlasting
love and all flesh shall see it together. And then he finally
says, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. God speaks. No one less than that. The mouth of the Lord has spoken
it, isn't it? Well, utterly amazing, isn't
it? To think that Almighty God speaks to you and me in one way
or another and reveals to ourselves what we are by nature and what
He is in His glorious grace. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken
it. It's not the mouth of man. Sometimes
men are used, but it's the word of God. The mouth of the Lord
hath spoken it. And what a wonderful truth it is, and how encouraging
it is, and how strengthening it is to realize that this great
God has looked upon me and has brought me to this amazing knowledge,
revealed himself to me as he does not enter the world, shown
to me that he went to Calvary in order to redeem my soul. And he suffered for me. He bled, he died for me. And he's gone to prepare a place
for me. And as he says, I go to prepare
a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I
am there you may be also. It's a wonderful prospect, isn't
it? You see, God doesn't leave his work half undone. God's work is completed. He led them forth by the right
way that they might go to a city of habitation. God brings all
his people safely home to glory. And he has that great and glorious
plan to redeem our souls Well, what a mercy it is today if we
can thank God that the Spirit of God directed Isaiah to write
this glorious prophecy with regard to what would happen. And John
the Baptist was the person who cried in the wilderness and set
before the people the great need for repentance, how necessary
it was and it is in our lives. You know, God brings repentance.
He gives repentance. You do repent. of your sin. You are sorry for your sin. You're
not happy to carry on in that wrong way. The voice of him that
crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make
straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall
be exalted. Every true believer, whatever
However far off they may seem, however dark it may seem, shall
be lifted up, shall be exalted, the light will shine, and every
mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of
the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.