Advent---The Highway to God

[HKHaugan]

It takes bulldozers to clear trees, boulders and level mounds of dirt in order to build a highway. If we continue to think spiritually about highways like the one we talked about in describing the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway it takes spiritual bulldozers to clear the dark obstructions lying in the unseen dimension. We are blazing a trail, a spiritual trail through the wilderness of sin and evil to the highest peak called the Kingdom of God. However bulldozers work against hard surfaces. What we are talking about is a different kind of hardness, hardness of heart due to sin.

Repentance, telling God I’m sorry, and forgiveness, letting God step in with His love, are the bulldozers paving the way into the Kingdom of Heaven. What are being knocked down are the barricades, the walls and the strongholds of sin that are hardened through fear, pride and self-centeredness.

Notice the difference between bulldozing in the world sense of hardened resistance as opposed to Jesus’ calling us to bulldoze with humility and admission of not being perfect. One works in the atmosphere of fear while the other works in the atmosphere of God’s acceptance. One is totally self-centered and is finalized in the dead end of aloneness while the other is vulnerable, relational, interpersonal and ongoing.

This second one is called repentance cushioned in the comfort of forgiveness. Notice the first is stubborn obstinacy, hardheadedness and stony pride while the second is recognizing and opening up to a caring, concerned and personally involving God. One preserves the wall of pride and the second yields in humble openness.

Thunder in the desert!
"Prepare for God's arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth,
a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys,
level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts,
clear out the rocks.
Then God's bright glory will shine
and everyone will see it.
Yes. Just as God has said (Is.40:3-5 The Message Bible)."

The road to the Kingdom is the road to eternity. If, as Jesus says, the Kingdom of God is within, then the highway is a personal highway the Father has planned, Jesus has already begun and the Holy Spirit is paving. The plan is the yielding heart willingly receiving the prompting, urging and infilling direction of the Holy Spirit who is making Jesus as real as the air you breathe.

As the above passage calls us to prepare for His arrival we take this Advent as a time to consider what the spiritual hills, valleys, ruts and rocks are in our hearts. What will make the road level and straight for each of us? Take this season for example. Are there relational hills that seem unclimbable, valleys of fear that have to be walked, ruts of resentment and rocks of habits, thoughts and recurring problems? These are the spiritual obstructions that Jesus came to undo. As John tells us in 1Jn.3:8, “…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

While we celebrate the birth of Jesus it is the path ahead every next moment that is unknown. How we accept that and every next moment determines whether or not it become on obstacle or an opportunity. The Cross of Jesus is the pattern of faith He has shown. It is the cross of faith we take up every day through repentance, praise, thanksgiving and yielding that is our personal road. It is the resurrected Jesus whose Kingdom we have entered by faith that is our daily Sabbath rest, assurance and comfort, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;…(Heb.4:9 NIV).”