Turns In The Path To Life

Turns in the Path to Life

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

By Pastor James May

Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Amplified Version:

Mat 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.

Mat 7:14 But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it. [Deut. 30:19; Jer. 21:8.]

Every journey ends at a destination. The destination you reach will always depend upon which way you go at every crossroads, and which way you turn at every corner.

Some turns seem to lead you to dead ends

A few years ago we took the youth of our church to a “Corn Maze”. Some carried a map of the maze and were able to negotiate the maze without much trouble and to find their way out. But there were some who decided just to run into the maze blindly, not knowing the way, and just making random choices at every turn. The ran down the paths hoping to be able to brag that they found the exit first. Unfortunately, most of those passageways led to dead ends.

So it is for most people in this world. They are running wide open through life, traveling blinded to the Truth, not knowing the right way to go, and they will run right into a dead end. Everyone hopes and expects that he is on the right path, but few will truly find it.

Some turns take you down one-way streets where there is no turning back for a time

I see so many who choose to make this turn. It always begins with by seeing something down this path that seems harmless and yet will bring some temporary joy or fun into our lives. It’s those who decide to take one little trip down to the gambling casino and soon find that their one way street drives them in a gambling addiction that costs more than they can afford to pay. It’s the teenager or young adult that decides to experiment just one time with cocaine or crystal meth and then discovers that their one way street has no U turns and the path they travel is one that is nearly impossible to get away from. You name the addiction, and it always begins with a turn down that one way street.

There is only one way to Heaven. It’s a highway of holiness and pathway of righteousness. It’s a road where you walk hand-in-hand with Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to be your guide. No other one way path will work.

John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Some turns take you down two way streets without a neutral ground

There are many paths that you may take in life that have a neutral ground between the right path and the wrong path. If we are not careful we will get over into that neutral ground where it seems that there is a lot of “grey area”; things in life that really have nothing wrong with them but that can be used for either good or bad. It’s in these places that our choices determine which side of the highway we will travel on.

Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

It may seem fine today to take a certain job that will require you to work all the time and miss church far too often. But down the road where does that lead you? Work can’t save you, money can’t buy happiness, and it certainly can’t buy salvation. What seemed so right at first can become a curse later on. We have to be careful of every choice that we make in these grey areas of life. We must have the leading of the Holy Ghost and allow God to direct our paths.

Psalms 37:23-24, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."

Though we don’t always hear the voice of the Spirit, he is always speaking. Sometimes our own desires tend to deafen us to his voice and we may step out in the wrong direction, but rest assured that if you truly wanting to walk in the path that God has determined for you, the Spirit will not allow you to walk the wrong path for long. He will change circumstances and make you realize your mistake so you can come back to the Lord. It is God’s desire to see you make it all the way and He will never let you go without doing everything he can to bring you back.