“For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: “The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’””
Matthew 3:3 NET
At the end of 2022 were all your hopes realised? Your dreams? Or are there things still yet unrealised? That’s ok ‘cause you’re still here to do what you need to do!
When I personally think of 2022 I must confess its been an odd year, a little bit of a stop/start it felt all too often. Maybe due to trying to do things in my own strength even rather than waiting. Yet on reflection, and looking back, it feels to me that 2022 has been a year of fresh preparation and waiting. I’m sure 2023 this theme will continue somewhat as I see what it is I should be picking up along the way!
Reflecting on the passage above, I am reminded how it was John who prepared the way. This was primarily of calling people to repentance. It was a call to put behind them old paradigms, even cultural expectations because God in Christ was about to throw all of that out the window!
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 NET
In Proverbs 3:5-6 I see a parallel to Matthew 3:3, as it talks about how we can know direction in our lives (& he will make your paths straight) making preparations to know where we’re going. learning daily to trust fully in the Lord, and lean not on our own understanding!
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There is an element here of putting down the things that hinder our walk, slow us down, the things that distract us and instead look to the Father who knows us and what we need better than we know ourselves! How? It is by walking out trust in repentance rather than leaning on our
In doing this we prepare the way for the work of God in our lives, we come to the cross which is the ultimate kindness of Father God we find forgiveness for our own rebellion against God (sin) and through repentance we turn our lives around and learn to trust the Lord with our lives.
So 2023, well for me I desire to continue to, or at least attempt to, walk in those straight paths that God has for me, to daily trust him even in the good times as well as the ups & downs, hurts and pains which i am sure there will be (that’s life after all). However, this I kno
God bless you and may 2023 bring you the joy, hope and lasting peace you need even in amidst the struggles of life!
Richies.blog 
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