Day 31: Narrow Way

“Come to God through the narrow gate, because the wide gate and broad path is the way that leads to destruction —nearly everyone chooses that crowded road! The narrow gate and the difficult way leads to eternal life—so few even find it!”

Matthew 7:13-14

While going on a home visit in the Philippines, I had to walk through a padi field. I was horrified! The mud path was so narrow that it could only fit one foot. It took a lot of balancing to get through the field. As I took my first step, a scripture came to mind.

“Maureen, can you imagine if you had brought your luggage?” I replied, “Lord, no way can I manage that.” The Lord said, “That’s right…you’ve got to offload and travel light if you want to stay on this narrow path. To keep my balance, I had to concentrate and keep my focus and not be distracted. What a lesson I learnt that day!

Friends, to keep on this narrow path is a choice and it’s not going to be easy. But Jesus tells us that this path leads us to eternal life.

To stay on the Narrow Way:

1. Keep your eyes on Jesus

2. It’s a choice you’ll have to make constantly

3. Travel light (Hebrews 12:1-2)

- By ML

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Pray Father, give me the eyes of Your dove; an undistracted devotion for You alone.

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth;

unite my heart to fear Your name.

Day 30: The fear of uncertainty

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,

thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Many years ago, I had a dream. I was standing on the shore with church friends. We were waiting for a certain boat to arrive and there was a deep and strong expectancy that the boat was going to take us to a place we had longed for, near to God.

After an extremely long wait, a boat appeared on the far horizon. A great sound of jubilation arose as people rejoiced, finally boarding the long-awaited boat. Soon, a roll call followed, and one person was missing. After a frantic search I realised it was me, I was still standing alone on the shore.

The people urged me to quickly board the boat as it was about to depart but I was unwilling unless someone gave me the answers to these questions: “Where is this ship going? What will the journey be like? Who is steering the boat?”

They replied, “We do not know, but we do know one thing. Jesus is in the boat!” As I remained on the shore because I didn’t get the answers I wanted, instantly I saw the crowd parting and the Lord Jesus came to the fore of the boat. He looked me in the eye and said, “You, of little faith!”. Then, a wave of deep conviction surged through me, and I awoke.

Most of us fear the unknown and what lies ahead but the thoughts of the Lord towards us are always good. He desires that we trust Him as He leads us on the pathways of life.

This quote by Charles Spurgeon has touched me deeply and I pray it will do the same for you, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” - By AK

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Pray Father, teach me to trust You with all my heart, in all my ways and lean not on my own understanding.

Day 29: God's process

“So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

I came to faith at age 15 and wanted my parents to know God too. But it was no easy task!

My dad lost his father to the Japanese in World War II and became a surrogate dad to his five siblings overnight. Our conversations about faith often circled around questions of why God allows suffering. Dad insisted I had not “eaten enough salt” to speak to him on this. I also found out that he had had an off-putting experience visiting a church as a young adult. I had hoped that God would make it easier for me by sending someone else to win dad to Christ. But deep down, I knew the task was primarily mine.

Over time, God showed me that whenever dad put up difficult questions, it was, in fact, a positive thing! As I prayed and searched out answers for him, Holy Spirit was chipping away at the painful knots of his past.

30 years later, at the age of 81, dad attended an Alpha course. There, his doubts were removed and he prayed to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour! He also signed himself and my mom up immediately for water baptism! God’s word had completed its process! - By TC

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Pray Father, I commit the salvation of my loved ones to You. Open their spiritual eyes and ears to know that You are real and that Your love for them is everlasting.