Monday, August 23

Psalm 119:14-16
I rejoice in following you statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on you precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to open your mind to God’s truth and to allow your heart to rejoice in the riches of God’s word.

Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Everybody has a “Chicago traffic story” – and here’s my most recent debacle. Just last weekend Lorene and I drove to the city to meet my brother, Joe, and his wife Karen, along with their good friends Chris and Anne. The occasion was Joe and Karen’s 30th wedding anniversary – and we had a wonderful dinner together. The way home, however, was not quite so wonderful! I managed to find my way back to 90/94 East, but as soon as I merged with traffic I saw the sign for 290 West – the road I needed to get on – but the exit ramp was all the way on the other side of the freeway – like 4 lanes away – and I couldn’t get across fast enough without risking our lives in the process – so I missed my exit. “No problem,” I thought, “I’ll just take the next exit, circle around, and be back at the 290 exit in no time. So I got off and circled back – only to discover there was no exit for 290 West going the other direction. So I (not so calmly) got off at the next exit and tried to circle back again – and proceeded to almost get us killed trying to cross four lanes of traffic – and again missed my exit. By this time our wonderful evening had taken a decided turn toward the highway marked “stressful” – and only after two more passes did I finally find my way onto the exit ramp that would lead me safely home!

In this brief portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cuts right to the chase. Every human being is on one of two spiritual roads; the road that leads to salvation or the road that leads to destruction. There is no “third road.” Just as I knew that I had to find my way to the road that would lead me home – so we each must find our way to the spiritual road that is true and promises the destination of salvation. Jesus is warning us that it is very easy to find ourselves caught up in the “fast lane” traffic – that is, with all the others who are speeding along the “wide road” that is easy, popular, and leads away from God. On the other hand, he says, the “narrow road” is harder to find, more costly to travel, but leads to the life and presence of God.

If you are reading this devotional, there’s a good chance that you are already walking the “narrow road” that Jesus is talking about! But it is also true that you might be struggling to keep your eyes and feet on that road! We live in a world where people are moving in all kinds of spiritual directions – perhaps even some of your friends and family are going in a different direction and trying to drag you along. Remember, that just because there are a lot of cars on the highway it doesn’t mean that road will get you home! Sometimes you may feel like you are the only one traveling on the road Jesus has called you to – and it can be hard to persevere when everyone around you seems to be going the other direction! But, remember you are not alone! There are many who have gone before you, and many who are willing to walk with you, and Christ himself – in the person of the Holy Spirit – promises to guide you each step of the way!

Close your time by thanking God for calling you to the “narrow road” that leads to eternal life, and ask him to help you keep your eyes focused on him!

Brian Coffey