In the desert

In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. - Isaiah 40:3-5

I'm still not sure what these verses are saying to me.  Am I to prepare a way for the Lord, making straight in the desert a highway for God?  To say "make straight in the desert a highway" infers that I am in the desert.  Am I in the desert?

Jesus went into the desert.  Matthew 4:1 says the Spirit "led" Him there and Mark 1:12 says the Spirit "drove" Him into it.  Why?  For the sole purpose of being tempted by the devil.  Yes, that's right.  The Spirit led or drove Him into a barren place without food or water for 40 days for the single purpose of His being tempted by satan.  Does this answer the question of whether God will lead us into a desert time?  Does this answer the question of whether God might lead us to a place of temptation? 

This blog writing makes the following excellent statements: "Just because I don't like it, doesn't mean I missed the path."  "A hard place isn't necessarily the wrong place."  "How can I say my desert means You don't love me when Your love for me took You through the worst desert of all?"

In my wilderness, my desert, "prepare the way for the Lord".  Prepare my heart to know that the Lord is able to deliver me.  Prepare my thoughts to believe and know that He will come.  "Make straight ... a highway".  Clear the clutter so God can enter in.  The thought is more than just leaving enough room in my desert, or problem, for God to have a voice, it is remove everything else so that God is the only car on the road. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego prepared their hearts and made straight a highway.  "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18).  And they were saved from their desert, a fiery trial. ...  "And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all the people will see it together." ... "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (Daniel 3:25). 

Prepare your heart and make a clear path in whatever desert you are in for the Lord, our God.  He will enter with you into this desert and all who are near you will see His glory in your trial. Jesus walked alone, but we do not.  Just as He walked with the Hebrew children in the furnace, He walks with us.