Read Isaiah 40:1-11

When life feels like a wilderness—dry, confusing, unpredictable—you may wonder how God will ever break through. Isaiah speaks right into those barren places: “Prepare the way for the Lord.” The wilderness is not a barrier to God. It is the very place where He chooses to reveal His glory. Long before the Messiah arrived in Bethlehem, God was preparing a pathway through the wilderness of human sin, sorrow, and separation. Advent invites you to see the wilderness differently—not as a sign of abandonment but as a space where God clears a road to come closer.

God tells His people that valleys will be lifted, mountains made low, rough ground smoothed. This is the language of transformation. It’s a picture of the powerful work God does when He draws near. Waiting often reveals the uneven ground in your heart—the places of pride that need to be lowered, the valleys of despair that need to be raised, the twisted paths of fear that need straightening. But this is not work you do alone. God does the heavy lifting. He is the One who builds the highway. Your role is simply to make room for Him.

There is comfort in knowing that God never requires you to clean yourself up before He arrives. He comes to you in the middle of the wilderness. He enters the messy, dry, tangled places of your life because He is determined to be close to you. Jesus embodies this truth fully. He is the glory Isaiah promised—the One who walked our roads, carried our burdens, and removed every obstacle that kept us from God. Through Him, you have access to a path of peace, hope, and restored relationship.

What if the wilderness you’re facing is actually the place God intends to reveal His glory? What if the waiting is preparing your heart to experience Him more deeply? Advent reminds you that God is coming—not reluctantly but joyfully, not cautiously but with power. He builds highways in deserts. He transforms landscapes. And He is doing the same in you.

Reflection Questions:

• What “wilderness” areas feel most present in your life right now?
  
• How does God’s promise to “make straight” and “lift up” give you hope?
  
• What might God be preparing in you through this season of waiting?
  
• How can you make room for His presence today?

Journaling Prompt:

Write about the “rough places” in your life and invite Jesus to begin smoothing them. Reflect on how He has built highways for you in the past.