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The Way to Life
Andrea Lende • August 26, 2021
Matthew 7:13-14
The Way to Life
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Way-to-Life-e16fab5
Matthew 7:13-14
“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.”
“But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straightened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.”
These verses spoke volumes to me today.
They spoke to my heart because I desire life.
I desire life with Christ instead of a destructive life.
Without wisdom from the Holy Spirit, one is sure to find destruction.
Jesus said the gate to destruction is wide and spacious, and many enter through it.
But I desire the fullness of life which is truly found in Christ.
Jesus had just told the people to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking and they would find what they were looking for.
So, if we put our minds to seeking the narrow gate, we shall surely find it.
The Lord doesn’t hide from us.
He isn’t elusive.
And He isn’t far from us.
We have to ask Him to penetrate the very recesses of our minds and hearts.
The parts we’d rather keep hidden.
He made us, so He knows even those parts and pieces of us.
As we lay those things at His feet, He burns them up and they are forever gone from Him and from us.
Otherwise, we hold onto those things and cannot experience His love to the fullest.
My children used to hide from me when they’d done something wrong.
When they finally came to me, they found I still loved them
They let me love them.
The same is true with our relationship with our Father.
As soon as we lay down our shame, sins, thoughts, and hidden recesses of our mind with Him, we can experience the love He has for us.
So, I strive to give Him everything.
And I strive to seek Him above everything.
I desire the narrow, straight, and compressed path that leads to life.
The life that leads to Christ.
Today I choose to seek life with Christ and seek to walk through the narrow gate as He leads me.
May you find the fullness of life with Christ and experience His true love.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to seek You through the narrow gate and not go the way of destruction through the wide and spacious gate. Help me conform to You and Your Spirit, Father. Help me listen to Your voice and be obedient to Your call. Help me do all You ask me to do with a willing heart. Do not let me be swayed by the world and listen to its voice calling me. Help me only listen to Your voice. Lead and guide my every step. Set a guard upon my mouth, so I say things worthy of Your ears to hear. Purify my heart, Lord. Make me whole and perfect in Your sight. Help me receive Your love today as the chaos around me continues. Thank You for lifting me into Your presence for a few precious moments. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM leading and guiding you My child and will continue to draw you closer to Me.
Response: Help me heed Your guidance and follow Your lead, Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.