Speak Lord; I’m Listening – Daily Bite-Size Encouragement – Day 23

Path of Life

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.”¹ In life, we are presented  many paths, some paths lead to life, and some paths lead to destruction. Yet, Jesus invites us to walk with Him on the path of Life.

Jesus calls us to “enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad, leading to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”²

When we ‘lean on, trust in, and are confident in the Lord with all our heart and mind’ and when we ‘do not rely on our own insight or understanding’ and choose to ‘know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, then He will direct and make straight and plain our paths.’³

Two Paths

There are two pathways for us to tread. We will either walk down the wide and broad path or the narrow path.

Wide Path – fruits of the flesh: carousing, disputes, dissensions, drunkenness, envying, factions, hatred, idolatry, immorality, impurity, jealousy, outbursts of anger, sensuality, sorcery, strife.⁴

Narrow Path – bear fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, and to live our life in Christ and to clothe ourselves with: a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.⁵

Amanda encourages us to identify ourselves with Christ to know who we are and where we are going. When we surrender ourselves to God, allowing Him to speak to us through His Word and by His Holy Spirit, our minds are transformed, and we become more like Him.⁶

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost articulated so well that we have to make decisions in life, and those choices make a difference in how our lives are experienced.

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Sometimes, our lives reflect the pain and sorrow or reward and joy other people’s choices have on our lives. In that instance, the road we take is love and forgiveness or bitterness, resentment, anger and unforgiveness.

Which path will you pick today? Pick wisely!

“Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”⁷

Recommendations:

Fruit of the Spirit versus Fruit of the Flesh explained in greater detail Love – One of 9 Fruits of the Spirit – Strength with Dignity

How to give and receive Forgiveness Forgiveness – One of 8 Garments to Wear – Strength with Dignity

References:

¹ John 14:6 WEB

² Matthew 7:13-14 NASB

³ Proverbs 3:5-6

⁴ Galatians 5:19-21 NASB

⁵ Galatians 5:22-23 NASB; Colossians 3:12-14 NASB

⁶ Tobias, Amanda (Online name: Pteri Ibis). 5 Things to Keep in Mind about Following God’s Path for Your Life. Published June 13, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2021, from https://campcherithwny.org/chatter/2016/6/10/5-things-to-keep-in-mind-about-following-gods-path-for-your-life

⁷ Jude 1:24-25 WEB

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.

Bible Scriptures were retrieved October 11, 2021, from https://www.biblegateway.com #bgbg2 #BibleGateway