This is the Moms for Christ podcast, blessings to all the listeners, this is Jessica today with words on making straight paths for your family. The Bible explains to us that we are all on a journey and we want to be sure that our family is on a clear path that would bring them to the Holy mountain of God, where we would be able to meet with Him and to know Him in a very deep and personal way. We know that there are off roads, there are crooked roads, there are roads that will be difficult to walk on, and the Lord has many many verses throughout the entire Bible of telling us how we can find and make straight paths.

"Restoring the ancient old pathways to God of having a true heart of worship."

Now my son, his name is Joshua, and my husband and I were very purposeful in naming him that, because we believe that God has a call in his life to make straight paths for those who would come after him. Even though he is only 3 years old, we are working as a family to make sure that we are restoring the ancient old pathways to God of having a true heart of worship, making sure that we receive of any kind of conviction that we have in our heart and that we make sure that we have a clear conscience before God, that we see our conscience to be clear before the Lord, that we open up our hearts to His discipline and to the Lord's correction so that we would be on the straight path to finding God.

Joshua in the Bible was truly a forerunner for the nation of Israel coming into the promised land. He was sent out with a group of spies to go check out the land and bring back a report. He brought back a good report to say that this is the land that God has promised to give us; this is the land flowing with milk and honey; this is where we're going to exist at peace with God; this is where our families have to be raised and built up. It's the same for us today! We must lead our families to the Holy mountain of God where only righteousness is acceptable, where we’re able to be at peace with our God and we're able to live with Him.

”We must lead our families to the Holy mountain of God ... where we’re able to be at peace with our God.”

Mark chapter 1, verses 2 through 3 says “I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way, a voice of one calling in the wilderness ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’” This was a prophecy made about John the Baptist, who would serve as a forerunner before Jesus, preparing people to take a look at their hearts so that they would have room in their hearts to receive Jesus and His message and the Kingdom that He brought down. It is our responsibility as mothers and as fathers, parents to our young children, to show them how they can also open their hearts to receive Jesus. We have to open up the way, we have to clear the brush out for them; and that's what it really means to be a forerunner, when we as parents are able to go through the wilderness and get the brush out of the way and clear the ground so that it's more level and easier for people to walk through. Our children will have an easier time finding the Lord Jesus for themselves because the path will already be trodden down by our feet.

”Making clear pathways for those who are going to follow after.”

So when you wake up and you're beginning your day and you’re beginning to pray and you’re asking God to reveal anything that is against Him, or anything that is unclean in our thought life, or any struggles that we had, we are able - with confidence - not with fear - but with power of knowing that we are the forerunners for those who will come after us: not just for your children, but maybe also for your grandchildren and the generations that will come after you. Those forerunners are those people who are willing to lead exploits for the Lord making clear pathways for those who are going to follow after.

Make straight paths for our children.

Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 21 says “set up road signs, put up guide posts, take note of the highway, the road that you take.” I don't know about you, but for me that is very clear - do whatever kind of markings that you need to: leave ribbons in the bushes, or make a pile of rocks as a monument that would be reminders to your children for years and years to come. Or in other words, do whatever you have to do to make sure that our children don't fall to the side roads, the wayward roads, the ways that they should not be taking. The only way that we're going to be able to ensure that that doesn't happen is if we make the straight path. The Lord Jesus Christ, it is said about Him that He is the way, He is the truth and the life - no one comes to God the father except through Him.

So we have to make a clear cut pathway to Jesus as easy it can be done. It is definitely harder for the parents to make that way as the forerunners, being able to rebuild the ancient old ruins of praise and worship unto God; thanksgiving even in the midst of a struggle; receiving the discipline of the Lord - but all of it is for a very good purpose!

So let me just bless you as you travel on maybe pathways or roads that have not been traveled in a long time. Maybe you haven't seen an example for you, maybe it hasn't been demonstrated for you in your life, but God is calling you to a deeper relationship; He's calling you to make those pathways. It has been prophesied about many of you, even this day, that you would be the ones making the pathway to the Lord, making straight pathways and teaching people to bring back the old ways of righteousness to God the Father.

"You will not let us get bit by any snake or scorpion as we travel through the wilderness of our faith."

We thank you Father for the calling that You've put on the heart of every listener today, that they would want to go deeper in their relationship with You and that they would know that there was more out there for them and their families; that they would be unafraid of staying up late hours in the night just to spend time with You; that they would not be ashamed of seeking out holiness and righteousness for them and their family; that they would look at their heart very deeply; that they would look at the heart of their children deeply even as they discipline them, to know that that the standard is high, God, because the standard is love.

So today we set out on a journey to find You. We know that You will sustain us on our journey, and that You will keep our foot from slipping on any rock or stone. You will not let us get bit by any snake or scorpion as we travel through the wilderness of our faith. No heresy will be able to bring down the righteousness that You have put upon our hearts, God. We will not be struck, Lord, by anything that will try to water down the calling that You've put in our lives. We will stand firm, perfect, Lord, in our faith and in our love for You, God. So strengthen us this day, and I bless each one on their journey in what they have set out to do which is to raise Your Name high and restore the worship of our God. Thank you for listening today everybody. God bless you and God be with you!