"Prepare (and Get Out of) the Way"

Isaiah 57.14 NIV

“Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”

I can easily become an obstacle to progress and should occasionally remove myself from the process. When I am the impediment, I must find the humility to admit this truth and step aside. Sometimes I can best “prepare the road” and “remove the obstacles” by getting out of the way.

Jesus said,

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish;

and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

John 10.27-28

Sheep follow their Shepherd. They know Who and where He is. If they get lost, stuck, or delayed, I may be called to gently try to help fellow-followers back on track. I serve best by identifying and removing barriers to faith in Christ. If I am that barrier, I must remove myself from where I like to be... the center of the action and attention. 

If I wish to “build up” people, sometimes I must prepare the path, then simply get out of the way.