John 1: 19- 28

The testimony of John the Baptist, when questioned by priests and Levites about who he was and what he was doing, was a confession of who he was not. He said he was not the Christ- not the Coming Anointed One- not the Messiah. He confessed that he was a voice crying out in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord", as the prophet Isaiah had said. He was preparing them for the Coming One! He was trying to get their attention focused on preparing for Messiah's coming. By quoting Is. 40: 3, in John 1: 23, John is applying to Christ what is said of YAHWEH. John was preparing them for God in flesh which is why in verse 27 he says, "He who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie..." John considered himself lower than a servant in comparison to Who was coming, the One the people were to prepare themselves for.

O my Lord Jesus, help me to have this same spirit. The spirit of a slave. A slave was the one who tied and untied the sandals, who washed the dirty feet, the lowest of low. May I consider myself lower than a slave and serve You in true, pure, genuine humility. I get so puffed up- please cleanse it, burn it out of me with Your holy fire. I do hate it. I do pray that You will take the intense desire of my heart for purity of Your Holy Word and make/ cause the words of my mouth and the thoughts and intentions of my heart to be pleasing to You My Rock, Refuge and Redeemer. May the words that I sing, speak, and pray be wholly devoted to You, may You be glorified in using this vessel to do Your holy will. Control me, Lord Jesus. Please use me to get peoples attention focused on preparing to meet You- in salvation, in daily sanctification and/or in Your soon coming return.