Scripture Reading
Isaiah 40:3-5
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. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Reflection
The Advent call to prepare is not merely ceremonial — it is a summons to interior work. Mountains of pride, valleys of despair, rough roads of bitterness: these are the terrain God asks us to level in our hearts. Preparation is an act of faith; it says we believe the Guest is truly coming and that our welcome matters to him.
Prayer for Today
Lord, my heart is so heavy this morning. My sorrow is so great. In the midst of all this pain I am feeling, I am so thankful that you are God and I am not. I am thankful that you are all-powerful, that I do not have to hold it all together or be strong for everyone in my life. You are my strength. You are strong for my loved-ones when I can't be. I am thankful you are all-knowing that you know the outcome to this misery I am facing. That I don't have to figure out what the next week or month or year looks like, because you have it all held together. And you promise my feet won't slip. Help me, Lord! Strengthen me for today. Give me daily bread, that I can be sustained through this heartache. Thank you God that you are close when I am hurting. Thank you God for the comfort, grace and joy that only you can give. Hold me up today. In your name I pray, Amen.
Amen.