The Way for the New Year

Devotionals
Published January 3, 2026

January 03, 2026

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” – Luke 3:4

The voice crying in the wilderness demanded a way for the Lord, a way prepared, and a way prepared in the wilderness. I would be attentive to the Master’s proclamation and give Him a road into my heart, cast up by gracious operations, through the desert of my nature. The four directions in the text1 must have my serious attention. Every valley must be exalted. Low and groveling thoughts of God must be given up; doubting and despairing must be removed; and self-seeking and carnal delights must be forsaken. Across these deep valleys a glorious causeway of grace must be raised. Every mountain and hill shall be laid low. Proud creature-sufficiency, and boastful self-righteousness, must be leveled, to make a highway for the King of kings. Divine fellowship is never promised to haughty, high-minded sinners. The Lord has respect to the lowly and visits the contrite in heart, but the lofty are an abomination unto Him. My soul, beseech the Holy Spirit to set you right in this respect. The crooked shall be made straight. The wavering heart must have a straight path of decision for God and holiness marked out for it. Double-minded men are strangers to the God of truth. My soul, take heed that in everything you are honest and true, as in the sight of the heart-searching God. The rough places shall be made smooth. Stumbling-blocks of sin must be removed, and thorns and briers of rebellion must be uprooted. So great a visitor must not find miry ways and stony places when He comes to honor His favored ones with His company. Oh, that this evening the Lord may find in my heart a highway made ready by His grace, that He may make a triumphal progress through the utmost bounds of my soul, from the beginning of this year even to the end of it. 1) Isaiah 40

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright (c) 2003, Good News Publishers and used by Truth For Life with written permission. Today’s Bible Reading material is taken from McCheyne Bible reading plan and used by Truth For Life with permission. Scripture quotations are taken from Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright (c) 2001, Good News Publishers.

Additional Resources

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

Mandate of Mercy

Mandate of Mercy

July 07, 2026 When I passed by you … I said to you … “Live!” - Ezekiel 16:6 Believer, consider gratefully this mandate of mercy. Note that this decree of God is majestic. In our text we find a sinner with nothing in him but sin, expecting nothing but wrath; but the...

read more
Count Your Trespasses

Count Your Trespasses

July 06, 2026 How many are my iniquities and my sins? - Job 13:23 Have you ever really weighed and considered how great the sin of God's people is? Think how heinous is your own transgression, and you will find that not only does a sin here and there tower up like an...

read more
Rest Upon the Rock

Rest Upon the Rock

July 05, 2026 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. - Isaiah 26:4 Seeing that we have such a God to trust, let us rest upon Him with all our weight; let us resolutely drive out all unbelief and endeavor to get rid of doubts and fears,...

read more
Clean Hands

Clean Hands

July 04, 2026 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. - Psalm 24:4 Outward practical holiness is a very precious mark of grace. It is to be feared that many professors have perverted the...

read more

We're Social

Church is not a building. We extend God's love to our community and online through all our social media channels.

Connect today!

Visit Calvary Baptist

Calvary Baptist Church

9388 Village Hwy
Concord, VA 24538
Phone (434) 993-3128

Service Times

Sunday School 9:45am
Sunday Worship Service 11:00am
Sunday AWANA & Youth Group 5:30pm
Sunday Adult Fellowship Group 5:30pm
Wednesday Bible Study & Youth Program 7:00pm

Pin It on Pinterest