The Way of the Lord (John 1:19-23)

Today's scripture: John 1:19-23

We Christians are blessed to have so many men and women of faith who have come before us. The patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament. The apostles of the New Testament. Early church fathers. Missionaries. Martyrs.

These saints (because, after all, each of us who follows God is a saint) have paved the way for us to know our Lord even more deeply.

The men who followed God's call to scribe the very words of the Bible did as John the Baptist did: They "made straight the way of the Lord." The Bible has what many have called a "scarlet thread" that is woven from Genesis through Revelation, and the entire Word tells of God's grace and His plan for salvation.

The apostles laid the foundation for the church, the physical representation of Christ's body. We learn so much about serving and loving God and others through their words. Men like John and Charles Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Mordecai Ham, and Billy Sunday fulfilled their calling to influence others. Servants such as Billy Graham and Charles Stanley continued to carry the torch through today and have passed it to Bible teachers like Greg Laurie and Andy Stanley.

These men continue to "make straight the way of the Lord."

While many of us will never have a national or international forum to share the gospel, we too can be forerunners. In our own circles of influence, we can share God's truth. To our friends. Our families. Our children. Our co-workers.

We too can be used by God to help others see the truth, to "make straight the way of the Lord."