God has a way of blessing us as we go through the rough places in life. There may be many rough places that we may have to go through in life – it is not always smooth. But through the rough places we will learn that God is a God of comfort. None of us can escape the rough places in life – they come in several ways. Rough places may come as a result of sickness and/or death, or they may come as a result of life itself. No matter how they come, know that God will be with you to smooth the rough places. In Isaiah 40:4, we find these words:

Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.

The prophet acknowledges the power of God. He begins by saying, “Comfort my people… speak tenderly Jerusalem … that our sins are pardoned.”  God is about to do something new and exciting, making rough places smooth in the glory of the Lord. All the people will see it. The Lord will feed His flock like a shepherd, keeping them close to Him, leading them through the wasteland. The power of the Lord will be revealed. May you join with me in knowing that the Lord will smooth all the rough places in your life.