The Way Of Holiness

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from Proverbs 31 Ministries asking if I would be available to lead worship at a women's conference in West Virginia next March. I obviously feel that God has called me to lead worship, and for the past few years I have felt called to serve alongside Proverbs 31 Ministries, and so my answer was an easy "yes, I'm available and interested".

The name of the church is "The Way of Holiness Church". When I saw that I thought "that's an interesting name." You know, it's not your typical name like "First Methodist Church" or "First Christian Church". "The way of holiness"...I like that.

Today I was reading in Isaiah 35 and found the scripture passage that (I'm guessing) inspired their name.

God is talking about what it will be like for His people who are redeemed.

He says:

Blind eyes will be opened.
Lame men and women will leap like deer.
The voiceless break into song
springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert,
hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain,
even lowly jackals will have water to drink, and barren grasslands flourish richly.

AND a highway will be there, it will be called the WAY OF HOLINESS.
the unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk IN THAT WAY....
only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. (portions of Isaiah 35:1-10)

"The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that way". That doesn't mean that if you're not perfect you can't walk on it. It simply means that we recognize our imperfections, our sinfulness, and we call on the One who can save us. The One who died for our sins. The One who can restore us to a right relationship with God. We come to Jesus, broken. Weak. Crippled. Messed up. But in that we recognize our need for Him. We surrender to Him. And he takes us and sets us on this "highway of holiness". A highway that He's designed for His people. Complete with His road signs. His Word. His guidance. Through every curve. Hill. Valley. He travels, in the driver's seat, and leads us on this highway. This beautiful Way of Holiness, 'til we make it to the place of Holiness.