Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Hebrews 10:23 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/heb.10.23.KJV
Jesus said that there are two pathways or gateways, one which is wide and easy and one which is narrow. In Matthew chapter 7 you’ll find His words: 13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Many times we feel that we are on the right path and if we truly belong to Jesus we are likely on the narrow path leading to life. But what about the rest of the world? Many find the broad pathway that they have been deceived into believing that it is the pathway to life as well. Sometimes the deceit is so complete that they may not find out that they are on the wrong pathway until it is too late. This is the deception that many today are struggling with. Some teachers and preachers are not teaching the whole counsel of God from His Word.
They are only teaching parts of it which people like to hear or want to hear and skipping over the parts which offend people. This is not the way that the apostle Paul taught that the gospel should be preached nor is it the way or the message that Jesus would’ve taught. God knows those who are hearing and following the pathway leading to life and those who are on the “broad road/gateway” He longs for them to see the Truth…but many won’t.
The entire message of Jesus and His teachings shows that there are only two ways: good or evil, light or dark, repent and believe for your salvation or choose to follow your own way and fall into the trap set by Satan. There are no gray areas in the Bible. You are either following God’s way and believing Him for your salvation or you are following Satan’s ways and living your life they way that you see fit. You must choose which side you want to live for eternity with, God or Satan, Heaven or hell? The choice is yours and it truly is your choice which sends you to one destination or the other God knows which choice you will make but do you? Make this choice before your life comes to an end because at that point it is too late and the choice has been made.
Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give.
If life be long, I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If short, yet why should I be sad
To welcome endless day?
Christ leads me through no darker rooms
Than He went through before;
He that unto God’s kingdom comes
Must enter by this door.
Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet
Thy blessed face to see;
For if Thy work on earth be sweet
What will Thy glory be!
Then I shall end my sad complaints
And weary sinful days,
And join with the triumphant saints
That sing my Savior’s praise.
My knowledge of that life is small,
The eye of faith is dim;
But ’tis enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with Him.”
—Richard Baxter (1615-1691), “Lord, It Belongs Not to My Care”
This is a poem that inspired me and I pray that it will touch your heart as well.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:17 KJV https://bible.com/verse-of-the-day/col.3.17/2939
He wept for His friend, Lazarus. Not because he died before Jesus could come but because he had to die so that others might see him return from the dead and live because Jesus called him back. He came back because of the call of Jesus and because many would believe in Jesus because of the miracle. Jesus wept because of the unbelief in the world even at the time that He lived and it likely grieves His heart even now because of the unbelief and hatred that is still in the world today.
We weep when a loved one dies. Sometimes it hurts so deeply that the pain lasts for days or weeks or even years…but God knows our pain and He gives us the strength to make it one more day. It is only by His strength that we can get through today and tomorrow and the next day. Sometimes it hurts and it is hard but many times the good memories that we have bring a smile to our face and warm our hearts even when they feel broken.
We hear people say things like “time will heal the pain”. It won’t. With the passage of time the pain gets easier to bear but it is still there and it is never truly healed. The pain of loss and the fact that you can’t talk to or see the person who is not here never truly goes away. The only time that the pain and the sorrow will ever be gone will be when we see them in heaven one day. Then we can celebrate throughout eternity.
Those who don’t believe in Jesus for their Savior and are part of a family that didn’t believe in Him for salvation don’t have this hope and assurance. Our hope comes from Jesus because of His love for us and the sacrifice that He made for us to have a relationship with Him. I pray that anyone who has not made that decision about their eternal future will make it before it is too late. Seek Him out and ask Him to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins. Live your life following Him and learning from Him by reading and praying about what you read in the Bible. God calls us to Himself and we should answer His call by humbly telling Him that we are sorry for waiting so long.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. Proverbs 31:31 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.31.31.KJV
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalms 42:11 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.42.11.KJV
Today has been one of those days that you wish that it never happened. I’m placing my hope and my heart in God’s hands because I have nothing to hold on to.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/ezk.36.26.KJV
