Highway of Holiness

Highway of Holiness

Unresolved issues in life form an uneven path for the journey of life. A person who is fearful of conflicts will wind his way around others to avoid confrontations. what he believes in his heart will be different to what he says with his mouth. Hence he cannot form deep and meaningful relationships with others. They are peacekeepers and not peacemakers. Every one of those issues needs to be sorted out and put right before the coming of the LORD.

While driving around in cities, from time to time we encounter the long, complex and tedious process of the building of a highway. Many persons with many skills are involved in the planning, digging and making process. Various equipments such as tractors, diggers, earth movers and tools are used. There seems to be a period of mess and chaos. Traffic is diverted for a season. The direction of traffic in certain lanes are reversed temporarily! Many who use the roads around are inconvenienced for a period.

GOD gave commandments (come and mend!) to His people, so they could follow the way and pave their path towards Him. That long and difficult path of keeping rules and laws and sacrificing for sins and giving offerings to appease the wrath of GOD was an impossible road to travel for our ancestors of the Old Testament.

 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 

Prepare the way of the Lord; 

Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. 

Every valley shall be exalted 

And every mountain and hill brought low; 

The crooked places shall be made straight 

And the rough places smooth; 

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, 

And all flesh shall see it together; 

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Isaiah 40:3-5 

Imagine that road replaced by a highway that is easy, travellable and quick! That is the path of grace Father GOD has made for all of mankind through the LORD JESUS. He is the Way and He is the Vehicle! You need to get into Him and you can be sure you will get to the Father. He has made all the necessary sacrifices and offerings and appeased the wrath of GOD. When you receive Him into your 
heart, He will guide and lead you through His Spirit.

This highway journey begins with JESUS in our heart but there are many mountains, obstacles and twists in the pathway of the mind.
 The foolishness of a man twists his way, 

And his heart frets against the Lord.
Proverbs 19:3 
The path of one whose intellect and will are not surrendered to GOD in worship is crooked.

Some may have low self esteem or negative experiences that would make their path to be a valley while beauty, wisdom, success and high achievements could make others walk the mountain of pride.

 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal 

but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 

casting down arguments 

and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, 

bringing every thought into captivity 

to the obedience of Christ,

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 

Every mindset needs to be corrected, straightened, levelled and evened before the coming of the LORD.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, 

that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, 

holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 

And do not be conformed to this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, 

that you may prove what is that good and acceptable 

and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2

 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, 
and the feeble knees, 
and make straight paths for your feet, 
so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. 
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, 
without which no one will see the Lord: 
looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; 
lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, 
and by this many become defiled;
Hebrews 12:12-15 
The word of GOD is the straight and narrow path that leads us to GOD. Therefore every thought, imagination, intent and attitude needs to align to GOD'S word for us to be able to travel that road. We  should diligently study GOD'S word like studying a map. We should submit to His word and walk in obedience to His will. His grace will enable us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When we are securely walking that highway,
We can prayerfully help others in the construction
of their Highway of Holiness!

See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, 

To root out and to pull down, 

To destroy and to throw down, 

To build and to plant." 

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 

"Jeremiah, what do you see?" 

And I said, "I see a branch of an almond tree." 

Then the Lord said to me, 

"You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word."
Jeremiah 1:10-12 

 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, 
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; 
It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, 
Even with joy and singing. 
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, 
The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. 
They shall see the glory of the Lord, 
The excellency of our God. 
Strengthen the weak hands, 
And make firm the feeble knees. 
Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 
"Be strong, do not fear! 
Behold, your God will come with vengeance, 
With the recompense of God; 
He will come and save you." 
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, 
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 
Then the lame shall leap like a deer, 
And the tongue of the dumb sing. 
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, 
And streams in the desert. 
The parched ground shall become a pool, 
And the thirsty land springs of water; 
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, 
There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 
A highway shall be there, and a road, 
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. 
The unclean shall not pass over it, 
But it shall be for others. 
Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. 
No lion shall be there, 
Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; 
It shall not be found there. 
But the redeemed shall walk there, 
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, 
And come to Zion with singing, 
With everlasting joy on their heads. 
They shall obtain joy and gladness, 
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:1-10