| Whatsoever
Things Are True
by Dan Coburn Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist Church pastordan@mtida.net I once heard the story of some grand-parents who with the best of intentions, took their grandchildren on an outing to a local amusement park. With Grandpa at the helm, they got lost. The next hour was miserable for all in the car, as the kids complained, Grandma criticized, and Grandpa made excuses. Tempers were short, when they passed a sign which read; “Nature Path”. “This is great” Grandpa thought. “All is not lost; we can do the Park another day. We are here now”, and he turned in to the big paved, inviting driveway. They hadn’t gone a hundred yards before they realized what a “Nature Path” is. There were lots of folks out on bikes enjoying the bright sun, and the best way to describe their attire, is to reiterate, they were natural. Grandma was screaming as she tried to cover the young eyes who were in her charge. Grandpa was trying to hang a Uee in his Town n Country. It wasn’t happening. It was a mess. Finally, the six year old grandson could be contained no more, and pushing aside his grandma’s hand, he cried “look! They-they-they aren’t wearing helmets”. Men won’t ask directions. The only way to reach the Right Destination is with Direction. The metaphor of life as a journey is a familiar one. The Odyssey by Homer is about Ulysses’ ten year journey from Troy to his home in Ithaca. Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress is a Christians journey from the city of destruction to the heavenly city. The Bible continually exhorts us to “choose the right path”. Let’s turn the Spiritual Switch. Contemporary folks think there are many ways to get to God, and all that is required is to earnestly pursue one. Jesus taught, however, that there are only two paths, and two destinations. “Enter ye in the straight 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.”–Matt. 7:13-14. The wisest man who ever has or ever will live, was Solomon. He wrote at least the lion’s share of the book of Proverbs, in which the words Path and Way, and their plurals, are found nearly a hundred times. You see, Wisdom is not only a person to love, (Jesus Christ), but also a path to walk. Intentionally. Wisdom leads to life, and folly leads to death. Jesus says in John 10:10, “I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”. You see, this path isn’t just something we try to stay on sacrificially, awaiting our prize when we die,. But that we might have that abundant life here and now. That your “joy may be full”. Have you taken some wrong turns? I know I have. “If we confess our sins; he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”–1st John 1:9. Praise God. He’ll get you back on the right path, and give you strength and direction to stay there, to His Glory, and your benefit. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death”–Prov. 14:12. |
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