A Daily Devotion for Thursday, June 18
- ontrakk
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Matthew 7:13-23
“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.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
The hard decisions about what direction to take seemed to come for me in my youth and young adulthood. In retrospect, I am not sure if it was purely fear of negative consequences or if I knew God was “bringing me up” as a rule-follower and keeping me out of trouble. I know I was seen as a goody-two-shoes, but I also had friends who were much more adventurous and fearless than I. Even some fairly rough characters seemed to enjoy my company. So, following the narrow path was most definitely my way. Of course, I am very thankful, and aware that this made for an easier journey through my earlier years. But I cannot say with surety that I was closely following God through those years. I just don’t remember how much I actually prayed to God to help me stay on that path. But I do know that God spoke to me and called me to follow Him at an early age. I have known God as my Father as long as I can remember. I am thankful beyond words. ❤️❤️❤️
Holy Lord, you have led the way for me, all these years. Even when I was not paying attention, you showed me my path, and I knew the path was for me. You have never left my side. Thank-you, Father. Amen
Becky, transforming
Matthew 7:13-23
I think sometimes human nature has us follow the path of least resistance even though it’s not always the very best choice. The narrow gate requires more discipline and obedience, and following Christ through the narrow gate is not always easy nor is it always popular. The wide gate may seem easier, but is full of distractions and pit falls like the false prophets who are all around us. This passage reminds me of one of my favorite modern gospel songs from the 90’s, “Keep Walkin’ On” (Faith Hill)
Well, the road is narrow and it’s straight
But it leads right up to the Golden Gate
And may be rough and it may be long
But I don’t…
Matthew 7:13-23
The phrase, “Let’s not get caught in the weeds,” or some variation is often heard. There are times, however, when we become enveloped in weeds despite our wish to avoid them. For people of faith, there is solace in knowing we have an immensely powerful helper to assist us in forging a narrow path through those weeds. It may take a lot out of me, but without the Holy Spirit, the weeds can take all of me. If I but remain steadfast in faith, I just may have enough to help another out of their own tangle of weeds.
Prayer - Lord, please keep me on Your narrow path. Even in this season of life there are weeds…