Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV) 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.”
A few years
ago my wife and I trekked a remote area of the Ogun state forest in Nigeria.
We’ve done a lot of trekking searching
for plots of land to establish my life dream – a holiday resort for stress relief of most
of our chief executives who hardly find time to cool off , so we felt fairly
confident. But the old-growth forests provided a new experience.
Instead of
clear paths cutting through thick underbrush, we found stretches of huge trees
in all directions, with smooth forest floor coated with a bed of fallen leaves.
No dirt path visible. Nothing to indicate which way to go, except for small path
markers nailed to trees.
At first, we
could scan into the distance and spot the next marker and know which way to
head. But sometimes path markers were missing. We found several broken off, or
resting in the dirt near the base of a tree. When the path seemed to disappear,
I forged ahead. Eventually I pulled to a stop. “I have no idea where I’m
going.” My wife muttered, “That never stops you.”
We
backtracked to the last marker and tried a new direction until we found the
elusive next symbol. Our trek that day reminded me of the adventure of
following Christ. He might give me a glimpse of the final destination, but most
of my life journey, I’m aiming just for the next small path marker up ahead.
My steps lead
through rocky terrain, beautiful scenes and swampy marshes. Often God’s
guidance is as clear as the white diamond markers on tree trunks, giving me
courage for tough climbs and wet treks. Other times, I struggle to see the
path. I struggled in a likely direction for a while and then need to backtrack
a bit, stand still and listen until Jesus gets me back on track. His narrow
path is the only one that will lead me safely through the wild forests of my
life and home to my eternal destiny.
Wait a
minute: Ask Jesus to show you clear path markers for the next step in your
journey on His path.
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