Issue 991 – Rocky Road – February 24, 2023
I don’t recall where I took this picture. It was with my Southeast Asia mission trip photos, and I think it was up one of the trails to a local village, but I cannot be sure.
I must confess that narrow trails appeal to me. I am apt to take a photo whenever I travel on one. I like this one because it is not only narrow but also rocky and looks like it has at least some level of difficulty.
I think that part of the appeal is trials like this remind me of Jesus’ teaching.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14
The Christian road isn’t easy. Nor is it the pathway to fame, fortune and the good life in this world, as some so-called preachers would have you believe.
Don’t misunderstand me; even in the hard things, Christians are blessed by God. Every trial and tribulation is for a purpose. God is more concerned about our holiness than our earthly happiness.
I think one of the impediments to the gospel is that we sometimes make it sound too easy. The highway to holiness is often the rocky road. We battle our own sinful nature and the works of the enemy. Yet, we don’t go alone. The Spirit travels with us.
There is no salvation without Christ’s sacrifice; it is only by faith. Yet, that moment of justification is the entry point to a life of faith.
Getting people “saved” is the start, not the final goal of the process. Jesus commanded his followers to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Our lives are to be lives of commitment. We are called to commit to following Jesus, loving and serving others, and making disciples.
We aren’t saved to be Sunday consumers of religion. We are delivered to grow into being devoted, active followers of Christ. Our lives are to look different than those of people around us. Our lives won’t be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, we are still in process, but our lives should still reflect Christ.
I look at the teens and young adults of the world and see that they long to be involved in something larger than themselves. They genuinely want to make a difference. Admittedly they often go astray in that process and buy into all sorts of nonsense, but the desire is there.
Let’s show them the truth of Christ. Let them see us active in loving and serving our community in the name of Jesus. Let the ones in our lives see us living for God. That is hardly a new concept. We read about it in the Old Testament.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
It isn’t just teens who are searching for meaning. Even the most hardened curmudgeon and cynic we meet yearns for a life that has meaning. Let us show them the only place they can find it.
There is no guarantee that anyone will pick the narrow trail over the wide pathway to destruction. Yet, we can light the way for them and trust God to provide the harvest.
Let us walk the narrow path with joy and thanksgiving. Let us serve not out of obligation but gratitude to our Saviour. Let us share the light of Jesus everywhere we go and in everything we do.
All for the glory of God and the love of people.
Be Blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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