Make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. (Isa. 40:3)
THE MOFFAT TUNNEL is a railroad tunnel that cuts through the Continental Divide in Northern Colorado. The tunnel is 6.2 miles long, 18 feet wide, and 24 feet high.
The project of building the tunnel took 48 months, cost 24 million dollars, and caused the deaths of 28 people. The first train passed through the tunnel in February of 1928, shortening the distance between Denver and the West Coast by 176 miles. The cost seems enormous to save 176 miles or roughly 4 hours.
The prophet Isaiah proclaimed the good news. Even though people were living in darkness, they needed to prepare. Get ready, they were told. Forgiveness is at hand. Your sins have been paid for.
Like the excavation for the Moffat Tunnel, repentance prepares the way for the Lord by removing the things in our lives that stand between us and God. Preparing the way of the Lord is neither easy nor quick. The work of repentance is hard, so it will take a commitment to seeing it through to the end.
When John the Baptist fulfilled the words of Isaiah, he said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt. 3:2). You, too, can prepare the way for Jesus through repentance. Forgiveness is available for those who ask for it.
Prepare the way of the Lord by repenting of everything that is separating you from God.
Jeff Hughes lives in Nebraska with his wife, Sarah, and their three kids. They spend their weekends outdoors hiking, camping, and skiing.
