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.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work
Hebrew 4:12-13
For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates
even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow;
it judges
the thoughts and attitudes
of the heart.
Nothing
in all creation
is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered
and laid bare before the eyes
of him to whom we
must give account.
John 10:28-30
I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish;
no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me,
is greater than all ;
no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one.”
Ephesians 5:13-14,
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible And everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
Have you noticed that Large rocks never really get in my way because they are so obvious! They are the most popular subjects to talk about. However, it’s the little pebbles that you can’t see that get stuck in the rubber part of your shoe! They are hidden deep inside that know one can see and most definitely not the most exciting topics to talk about. But, as you hear the clicking sound, you might want to keep walking, choose to stay busy or change the subject. If you stop, it might cause you might lose too much time, but every step you take, you hear click, click! You try to ignore it or even take care of it yourself by scraping your shoe on the sidewalk with each stride but nothing! You decide to ignore the sound and keep going because nothing is going to stop you! You want what you want and nothing is going to get in your way! So, you try to keep moving! Because you have a schedule to keep! But, the click, click sound turned into knock, knock! So, do you stop to listen to God’s small still voice? The only way to remove the pebble, is to slow down and stop so you can take it out! We need the abiding relationship with Jesus (John 15:5) to keep us from spiritual blindness, so we can hear His voice! The pebble is just a physical example of what happens spiritually! Now that we are home because of Covid the world is trying to sneak through our tv and electronic devices opening us up to a world full of things to do. However, we need to be awake, alert and sober minded (1 Peter 5:8-9), because this multimedia world can become a stumbling block! If we’re not careful, we might do social distancing inside our home with our own family. If we’re not standing firm in our relationship with Jesus who is the cornerstone, rooted and established in God’s love, we will be stuck and won’t notice, it’s could become like sinking sand in the form of kinetic sand moldable but with no real consistency to it! We need to pray as the Holy Spirit guides us as we read the Bible. It only through the Holy Spirit that we can know God’s living words. Also share and have discussions about what we learn and experience in our everyday life to our sisters and brothers in Christ! Matthew 7:4, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? What will happen if I take my eyes off the road and slow down to examine the pebble in my shoe, or condition of my heart! It is through talking to God and asking Him to search me and know me and to actively listen to the truth! Not only do I listen to what Jesus says by slowing down, but actually humbling myself to a stop and listen, this is when I am doing what I say I believe! It might be stopping to hear my child share his heart or listen to my brother! It might be setting aside what You want to do for your spouse, we are to be the light in all circumstance! It is through these conversations I have with God that I’m reminded by the Holy Spirit like a flood that completely consumes me of what God says in the Bible! To continually trust God who knows my heart, and I ask him to search me (Psalm 139). To have confidence He will show me in his word what I need to do for his glory. Also, to trust God in relationships with others! Living in confidence that God won’t allow his children to be snatched out of his hands (John 10:28-29). So, the click, knock is an opportunity to trust Him with all of my life and not just a part of it! I will take the time to sit at His feet to listen and trust him with All my circumstances, in every relationship, and if I’m listening and abiding he will show me more! If I start to go my own way, God will slow me to show me a way out of temptation, of doing my way, to keep me on the straight and narrow, God’s way!
God knows each step already and works everything for our good for those who love him who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). We need to keep on the right course and keep watch (Matthew 24:36-42). It is through talking to God and asking Him if I should stop or keep going.The little things that slow down the progress of your day are like “pebbles” stuck in your shoe! They are not always bad! They can be losing your keys or phone! God can use that to get your attention! It could be a sudden snow storm in summer! It can be annoying but meant for our own good! It might even cause you to get off course because you were heading in the wrong direction! The only way to know why something like “pebbles” comes into your day, is to pray and talk to sisters and brothers about what going on in your day! This brings everything into the light!
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
When you seek God in everything you do, you will find him! (Matthew 6:6-7)! When we trust every little thing that happens for our good, you will have unshakable peace and joy! Even social distancing has a purpose! It’s trusting God has everything worked out in advance! So the question is, Should You ignore the clicking sound of the pebble stuck on the bottom of your shoes, or should You humble yourself and get down on your knees and pray! We need to take the time while we have it and get to know Jesus! Isaiah 55:6-7, “seek the Lord while He can be found; call on him while he is still near” He loves us so very much! Even if we have an earthquake and a sudden power outage, we can trust God! We will stand on the Rock, His firm foundation and we will not be shaken! We are in need of a spiritual grounding, so we can hear his small still voice! All he wants is you because he loves you and knows you completely (Psalm 139). Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
Matthew 24:42
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
Revelation 3:20,
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
2 Corinthians 2:9-11
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord
and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God,
so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers,
against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything,
to stand.
Stand firm then,
with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions
with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind,
be alert
and always keep on praying
for all the Lord’s people.
Mathew 7:13-16 reminds me of me and my youngest daughter’s adventures hiking. We always leave the path and create our own and find places rarely adventured. We know anything can happen like an injury, snake bite or have a run in with a cougar, bear, skunk, or porcupine but we feel happy and free and trust we will be safe in our adventure. We don’t want to worry about the what ifs and allow fear to stop us before we start.
As I was reading this I couldn’t help but think of the current situation that our nation is facing. It seems to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, but in that He says set your eyes on things above, not of things of this world.
Jesus is the narrow gate and the only way to our Heavenly Father. We are children of God and if we follow and obey the Lord and all his decrees we will surely meet the Father in heaven. The stumbling rock that you spoke above m, in other translations is called a dangerous trap. There can be a trap in everything but we are not to give the devil a foothold, we are to stand firm on God and his word .
If we take our eyes off of Jesus, not only are we affecting our lives, but we may be portraying a negative influence on others such as our children, His children. As we trust God with everything, it gives us mor opportunity to listen to him and his direction for our path that he already has laid before us. We need to know that if there are pebbles or obstacles, we need to take that as God telling us to slow down and listen. And there will be a pebble everyday, it’s our response to the pebble that matters.
Thank you again Michelle for your insight and wisdom.