I am staying at an Airbnb way outside of the city
The cows and goats, llamas and sheep are my neighbors
I noticed there are ditches or declines off the road all over the place
In most places, the road is clearly painted, clearly defined
but if I were to not be paying attention for one second,
that could mean very bad news for my car and even my health,
depending on how things went
It reminds me of the straight and narrow that we walk on,
that we spend our lives on after we have chosen to walk with Jesus
First we had to find it, now we have to stay on it
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
If we are not paying attention, we could get off the road
and caught in a snare or become injured or worse
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:27
Keeping our eyes on Jesus is of utmost importance
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down
at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
I was trying to think of a person in the bible who got off track
and the only one I could come up with is Jonah
There must be more, but Jonah is a fine subject for this
Here he refused to do God’s will,
he was afraid of looking like a fool for God,
so off he went into the sunset
Safe and sound, he thought
The boat he was traveling on as he tried to escape God and Nineveh
was about to be broken into pieces until lots were cast
by his fellow crew members
and it was found out the circumstances of the tempest were all Jonah’s fault
Then, as you know, he was cast off the ship, into the sea,
against the desire of the crewmen and hence swallowed by a whale
until he was ready to obey
Oy Vey
(The best part of that story is that all the men on the ship glorified God)
As we continue to travel the narrow road,
we can get off track very easily if we are not paying attention
Stay close to Jesus
Keep your eyes on the prize,
the Author and Finisher of your faith
And be listening for the warning signs
of how important it is to obey and how easy it is to get distracted
Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14