MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/23/2026
9:47 AM
My
Worship Time
Focus: “True Repenters Reflect on Personal
Sin”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Luke
3:3-4
Message of the verses: 4 As
it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice
of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight.” 5 Every valley shall be
filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become
straight, and the rough places shall become level ways,”
These are not really the verses that go along with
this section but are verses that are mentioned in MacArthur’s commentary. We will be looking at Luke 3:7-17 but in
MacArthur’s commentary he did not have any verses there in this section which
is unusual for him.
I will just quote this one paragraph
in this SD from his commentary: “As
noted in the discussion of 3:4-5 in the previous chapter of this volume, John’s
ministry as Messiah’s forerunner involved preparing the hearts of the people to
receive Him. In the words of Isaiah’s
prophecy, John was ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness. His message, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
make His paths straight’ (v. 4) called on the people to prepare their hearts to
receive the Messiah. The imagery of
Isaiah’s prophecy pictures the work of preparing a pathway through the
wilderness of the heart. As noted in the
previous chapter of this volume, filling in the ravines pictures bringing to
light the hidden sins of the heart. Bringing
down the mountains and hills symbolizes the abasement of sinful pride. Making
the crooked things straight speaks of straightening out anything perverse,
twisted, deceitful, or dangerous by confession and repentance. Finally, smoothing out the rough roads refers
to removing any hindrance or obstacle, such as self-love, apathy, indifference,
lust, or unbelief, that might obstruct the Lord’s entrance into the heart. True repentance involves a complete and full
dealing with sin in response to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I mentioned that this was going to be a very
short SD, but as I read over this one chapter there are many great things in it
that I certainly need to follow in my life each day.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Trusting the Lord to see my family
through what could happen to my wife’s cancer treatment, new treatment that she
may be getting early next month, as the previous treatments did not take care
of the problem.
4/23/2026
10:07 AM
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