“Few that find it“ are words that break my heart. When I think of the family, friends, and associates I know and have loved over 70 years of life, I hurt for their decision to condemn their self by walking on the wide road to destruction, rather than the narrow road to eternal life (John 3:18; Matthew 7:13-14).
God’s Word advises us to enter our Christian walk through the small, narrow gate, which is Jesus; but it also explains that the gate to the road to destruction is wide and easy to find. Jesus said that many enter through this wide gate. It is easygoing, broad, and unrestrictive.
However, the gate to eternal salvation is small, and the road is narrow. Only a few actually find it because they do not want to make the effort to enter it, as well as the road is narrow and has qualifications. People would rather make easy decisions, rather than to do hard things.
The more widely inclusive it is the better they like it. The more narrow-minded, the less they are drawn to it. God makes sure that we all know the true path of life. If we choose His way, He fills us with the joy of His presence (Psalm 16:11).
The Way of Holiness, as it is called, is not the path most people want to take. They will not stray onto it, because it is hard to find (Isaiah 35:8). Jesus tells us that to follow Him, we must deny our fleshly desires, take up His cross daily, and follow His example (Matthew 16:24-25).
If we honestly place our feet on the narrow path, He established our ways, and walks in us and with us through everything we ever face in life (Proverbs 4:26-27). We only have two choices:
1. To live in the righteousness of Christ on the straight and narrow road to eternal salvation in Jesus (Luke 13:24).
2. To live by the desires of our carnal nature, satanic lies, and worldly temptations of effortlessness and self-decadence on the broad path that leads to everlasting destruction.
Prayer:
Father God, Your narrow path leads to holiness and righteousness, and there is no judgment there because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on Calvary’s cross (Provers 8:30). You call every person ever born to come to You on this path and to drink of Your Living Water (John 4:10-14). You do not desire for anyone to walk away from You, but that everyone would choose salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice for us all (Matthew 20:16, 22:14).
Remind us that the road we choose now will determine where we will spend eternity. No one lives forever on this earth. Your Word describes our life on earth as a short vapor of breath on a cold day (James 4:14). It passes away like a swift runner (Job 9:25). We traverse this life as a stormy wind that is here for a short period, and then gone forever (Psalm 78:39). Teach us that like the flowers and grass, we live for a moment in time, and then we wither and go on into eternity (Isaiah 40:7-8).
Thoughts for the Day:
Narrow mindedness is not the character flaw that those on the wide road insist that it is. We are just focused and one-track minded on that which Jesus focused on during His 33 years of existence on this earth. We do not mind the sacrifices we make for His sake, because He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.
