Jesus taught: ““Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 HCSB
I call it the juxtaposition. It is the act of comparison and contrast and each of us make these decisions multiple times a day. This path or that. This road or the other. Plan A or plan B. How to decide? I look at these pictures and my anxiety rises. I’m not good at having too many choices to choose from. I want one choice. I want THE WAY made clear to me.
I came across this acronym. GPS – Global Positioning System. I use it everyday here in Knoxville. I am learning my way around but I have discovered one destination point has many paths to get there and at any point in my day the right path changes. I can take Northshore going to, but on my return I could take Fox Rd. I don’t know. It is just the way things are here in Knoxville. But that acronym is not the one I am talking about.
God is my GPS – Guide, Protector, Savior.
I want to make the right decision. I want to go in the right direction. I’ve gone the wrong way too many times in my life, and it is not fun. I hate going down the wrong way and have everybody honk and raise their hands like, “what are you doing crazy driver?” If they are even that nice.
But it is even worse making wrong decisions spiritually. I’ve chosen my own paths. I have even blazed a few trails that weren’t even trails. I have told God on multiple occasions, “It is OK. I got this.” Sometimes I picture God using a wrench truck with me. “Come on Jesus, Kellye has gone off roading again. Let’s get her unstuck.”
Those are lessons learned, and sometimes bad decisions only become really bad when you choose not to learn from them. I just thank God that He always comes and rescues me from myself and the wrong paths I have taken.
So how can we know which road to take when we come to the crossroads of juxtapositions. Choose God. Choose to pursue God.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 HCSB
I have learned that God even loves the desire in me to want to be righteous, to be right with Him. He loves when I choose to go in the right direction even before any righteous acts are accomplished.
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6 HCSB
“You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.”
Psalms 139:3, 5, 10, 24 HCSB
I have learned in my travels with the Lord, God does not leave me guessing. He wants to lead me down righteous paths for His namesake. He wants to help me enter through the narrow gate that leads to abundant life.
And sometimes God leads me down paths that I didn’t even realize were there.
“Your way went through the sea and Your path through the great waters, but Your footprints were unseen.”
Psalms 77:19 HCSB
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.” So He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.”
Exodus 13:17-18 HCSB
Do you want to go the right way? Well, don’t follow me. I go off-roading a lot. Choose God. Pursue Jesus. He is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.