God’s plans are perfect.  He gave an old man and an old woman a child, to be named John, not Zechariah after his father.  God had prepared the path for this “John”.  On the day of circumcision, this child would be named by a father who had lost his ability to speak during the pregnancy as he had not believed the words of Gabriel, the angel of the LORD.

And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered.

And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.

And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea,

and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,…

Luke 1:63-67

Part of this prophesy was:

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.  

Luke 1:76-80

John, the Apostle, writes in John 1:

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 

John 1:6-9

God prophesied through others about John and Jesus:

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 3:1

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 4:30

“And you, child….”

“What then will this child be?”  ~

prophet of the Most High

a messenger

a preparer of the way

a guide for our feet into the way of peace

a giver of knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins

a giver of light

The tender mercy of God prepared John for this calling.  John’s obedience and abiding with God would allow him to go before Jesus.  Jesus said this about John: “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  Matthew 11:11

Father God, You are the Holy One.  I am at peace this day as I wait in this Advent season, seeing the ministry of John who came before Your Son.  John had so much to be and do but You were always with Him for You gave him Your Holy Spirit from the womb.  He was obedient to You.  He abided in You always.  Thank You for these lessons to my spirit.  When I stand upon Your holy ground, I am called to follow You in all ways.  May my sight be towards You and my hearing to You as well that I would know Your will for my life, the path which I am to walk.  Father, I meander and get lost, but You never lose me.  I am so grateful for Your strong hand upon me always.  Keep me on the straight and narrow highway that is Your Way.  My heart is Yours.  I pray, in the Name of Jesus.  Amen.   

Being Woven ~ linda