“A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the ragged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.'”

Isaiah 40:2-5 (NIV)

Preparation. How do we prepare the way for the Lord? That’s a big question and has many different answers. Each one of us are called to prepare the way for the Lord in different ways.

Not only should we prepare externally – loving others, serving our neighbors, sharing our testimonies – but also internally. We need to invest in our relationship with Christ through prayer, reading His word, and worship so that we are prepared to listen to His Spirit and do His will.

Today, we encourage you to reflect on how you can prepare the way for the Lord both externally and internally. At CEPAD we are preparing to exit our current communities and enter into new ones. Not only is this a transition time for us but also for 84 rural communities (42 we are leaving, 42 we are entering). As we can get caught up in preparing these communities externally, please pray that we would also take time to prepare our own hearts and minds and lean into what the Spirit may be telling us.

We invite you to also pause during this busy season to connect with Christ – drawing nearer to Him and His will.