Straight paths

“As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight’.””

— John the Baptizer in Luke 3:4 ESV

In my prayers I claim the promise in Proverbs 3 that if I acknowledge God in all my ways, he will make my paths straight. Do I give equal attention to the prophetic command in Isaiah 40, repeated by John the Baptizer, to make Jesus' paths straight?

Let me not—even unintentionally—be like Elymas in Acts 13, placing obstacles in Jesus' path. Instead let me be the one who builds a straight highway for him—who levels hill and vale, and smooths the rough places. Let me be one who removes obstacles and distractions, not the one who sets them in place.

Beneath it all

When I look up at a beautiful skyscraper, my eyes behold so much creativity and engineering. I'm also impressed by what I see with my imagination—what must the foundation be like to support a 200,000 ton structure?

Then come some questions. Is the foundation really adequate? How well is it being maintained?

Same is true for lives and ministries. What I see with my eyes is grand. But is the invisible strong enough to support the visible? I can see that the light bulbs are being replaced and the windows are being washed, but what about those foundations—are they being maintained too?

The basics—the hidden foundations—must never be left behind or neglected. They support the weight of everything that's seen.

Answers please

In his book Jesus Is the Question: The 307 Questions Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered, Martin B. Copenhaver says the Gospels record Jesus being asked 183 questions. He directly answered 3.

Two maybes come to mind:

1. Maybe this imperfect follower should follow Jesus' example in this way too.

2. Maybe Jesus answers more of my prayers than I realize—just indirectly or in question form.