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 rugged places a plain.”
Isaiah 40:3-4 NIV
Prepare
The Canadian Disaster Database from Public Safety Canada contains detailed disaster information on more than 1,000 natural, technological and conflict events (excluding war) that have happened since 1900 at home or abroad and that have directly affected Canadians. The Emergency Management Framework for Canada definition of a disaster must meet one or more of the following criteria: 10 or more people killed, 100 or more people affected/injured /infected/evacuated or homeless, an appeal for national/international assistance, historical significance or significant damage/interruption of normal processes such that the community affected cannot recover on its own.
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Special events take a lot of preparation. Anyone who has been involved in organizing an event or family vacation knows just how much planning is involved. Some major events take months or even years of planning. That was certainly the case for the birth of Jesus the Messiah. And as things got closer to His arrival, the plans became even more intense. Part of God’s plan for the coming of Jesus was the arrival of John the Baptist, who would call people to repentance in preparation for Jesus’ message and provision of redemption. God had John’s arrival and ministry planned centuries before he was born. The Old Testament prophet wrote this in Isaiah 40:3-4: “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 rugged places a plain.’” God loves us enough to plan for millennia to provide a Redeemer. No wonder we go to such lengths to celebrate His arrival. How are you preparing to celebrate His arrival this year?
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley