In God’s Word there is an urgency in the voice of the prophets that the people should turn from iniquity and walk in God’s ways (Romans 13:11; 2 Corinthians 6:2). God repeatedly sent prophets to the people to call them to repentance, and He expresses His sorrow that they would not turn to Him (Jeremiah 35:15).
He promises that if we will not harden our heart (Hebrews 4:7), He will make us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). He gave the Israelites their forefather’s land as a dwelling place forever and ever (Jeremiah 25:5), and He told them if they will return to Him, He will turn to them (Zechariah 1:4).
Some people today teach that unless God has a prearranged calling on our life individually, we cannot be saved. We are eternally left out of the elect, the chosen, and there is nothing we can do about it. Yet, God says clearly in His Word that He desires that no one will perish for eternity, but that all will come to Him in repentance (1 Peter 3:8-10).
God calls us with that same urgency and longing for us to come to Him in repentance, trust, and reliance that His prophets expressed in Biblical times. However, so many of us are too stuck in our self-centered ways, pride, and rebellion to trust in God. We want to rule our own life and not submit to anyone.
We have a window of time right now to come to Him with a humble heart, and to trust in Him alone for our salvation. He meets all our needs because He really does care for us (Philippians 4:19-21). When we draw our last breath on this earth, if we have not already chosen the narrow gate, it will be too late for us, and we will condemn our self to an eternity in torment and destruction (John 3:18).
Jesus is the only door to salvation (John 10:9). He suffered, was crucified, rose from the dead, and is coming again with the government on His shoulders to rule and reign in righteousness and peace (Isaiah 9:6-7). He calls us all to release our grip on our self-reliance and to totally trust in His goodness, mercy, and love.
Prayer:
Father God, thank You for making a way for our deliverance from our sinful ways and for helping us to adhere to Your precepts outlined for us in Your Word (Mark 8:35). Lead us in paths of humility and denial of our fleshly and carnal desires so that we may be pleasing to You. It hurts to think of all those who choose not to join You on Your straight and narrow path and are content in the quality and quantity of companions on the broad way.
I heard it said that the most narrow-minded people are those on the broad way, and the most gracious and compassionate of people are those on Your narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14). Remind us to constantly pray for those on the broad road, that they will search for the door to the narrow way and enter into Your rest (Hebrews 4:3, 9-16). We give You all the praise and glory for our position on the narrow road, and we thank You for revealing Jesus Christ to us and our need for Your salvation.
Thoughts for the Day:
There are two options for us in our life: to walk the broad way or the narrow way. There is no other path available, only the righteous one or the immoral one - Godly or ungodly. God’s Word calls us Saints and sinners. We are either on the road to abundance, victory, and heaven, or on the path to self-condemnation due to our unbelief (John 3:18).
