Preparing the Way of the Lord

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying,
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight. Luk 3:3-4
​Admission to the Kingdom

The evangelist sets an emperor, a governor, two high priests, and three tetrarchs in a few lines, as of very subordinate interest, compared with the one man, the child of the desert, whose coming dated a new era and to whom he devotes the remainder of the chapter. After all, it is religious men who really make the history of mankind.
“The word of God came unto John the Baptist… and he came.” That is the true order. Get your message and then come. It is often in the wilderness of life that God’s words find us. The man who is going to master men must first master the appetites of his own body. If you seek popularity, you will lose it; if you seek to do God’s will, men will almost certainly come to find you. Souls require a clear pane of glass, when they look out on the infinite expanse of the sky! Be real! Live at first-hand with eternal truth! Fear not the face of man!  (F.B. Meyer)

Note: I would only add to this- I believe this devotional commentary can be applied to very serious believer in Christ in this day we are living in now. Whether it be a man, woman, young and old alike. Be real walk the walk and talk the talk. Put away all appearance of double-mindedness, put away sin, and walk with Jesus each day, make Him the rock you stand on, and who you put your trust in. There's nothing in this world that's going to last. It's all being exposed for what it is- fading away. Jesus is the only way out of this world, and into eternity with Him.
Yes, people may come to find you, for a season. But, do not be surprised if they also leave you, when persecution and trouble comes your way. John the baptist knew the same fate as Jesus', before he went to the cross, being beheaded for confronting Herod for marrying Herodious, his brother's wife.
It may cost you everything to follow Jesus. You may not have a great following of people. Your faith may be sorely tried, as Peter came to be tried, and failed when Jesus stood before his accuser's; he denied him three times, just as Jesus said he would. But, even through that Jesus did not forsake him. After he rose from the dead, he sought Peter out, and restored him. Many down through time, have come to know the sting of being tried by fire, and come away knowing the gut-wrenching truth about ourselves-without Jesus we can do nothing. But, we have two choices in this life- either Christ, or Satan, heaven with Christ, or hell with the devil-and the bottomless pit. Everyone is going to die, choose who you will serve before it happens.
Wherever you may be right now, it's never too late to turn around and turn to Jesus, and make him Lord and Savior of your life. Today is the day of salvation, no one is gauranteed tomorrow.
Then pick up your cross, and follow Him, wherever He may lead.

The Voice in the Wilderness

The voice crying in the wilderness demanded a way for the Lord, a way prepared, and a way prepared in the wilderness. I would be attentive to the Master's proclamation, and give him a road into my heart, cast up by gracious operations, through the desert of my nature. The four directions in the text must have my serious attention.
Every valley must be exalted. Low and grovelling thoughts of God must be given up; doubting and despairing must be removed; and self-seeking and carnal delights must be forsaken. Across these deep valleys a glorious causeway of grace must be raised.
Every mountain and hill shall be laid low. Proud creature-sufficiency, and boastful self-righteousness, must be levelled, to make a highway for the King of kings. Divine fellowship is never vouchsafed to haughty, highminded sinners. The Lord hath respect unto the lowly, and visits the contrite in heart, but the lofty are an abomination unto him. My soul, beseech the Holy Spirit to set thee right in this respect.
The crooked shall be made straight. The wavering heart must have a straight path of decision for God and holiness marked out for it. Double-minded men are strangers to the God of truth. My soul, take heed that thou be in all things honest and true, as in the sight of the heart-searching God.
The rough places shall be made smooth. Stumbling-blocks of sin must be removed, and thorns and briers of rebellion must be uprooted. So great a visitor must not find miry ways and stony places when he comes to honour his favoured ones with his company. Oh that this evening the Lord may find in my heart a highway made ready by his grace, that he may make a triumphal progress through the utmost bounds of my soul, from the beginning of this year even to the end of it.
​(Evening devotion-Charles Spurgeon)