Monday, May 20, 2019

May 20, 2019 … A Better Road

Berry Patch Devotions in 2019 - Day 140

Devotional SongGO TO THIS LINK …  Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of song and lyrics from the cast of the movie Sister Act singing  … I Will Follow Him … powerfully and joyfully singing of how we must follow Christ wherever He may go. 



==============
Highlight Verse[s]: John 11:53 [NLT] …  53 So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. 
… The road the Jewish leaders chose led to Jesus’ death and the way of life for all who would choose to walk the Lord’s narrow highway.
==============
Highlight Passage [context]: John 11:45-53 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK
… The religious leaders of Jesus’ day chose to walk a road of conspiracy to rid them of the One Who was preaching a narrow road to life; and the road they chose led to sin and the eternal death of millions down the road of history.
==============

Reference Passage : … Matthew 7:13-14 [NIV] … 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. 
… Jesus invites His followers to follow Him down the narrow road to eternal life. But all too few will follow Him.

Reference Passage : … Luke 9:23 [NIV] … 23 Then He said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. ..."
… Jesus shows any disciple how to follow Him down the narrow road to life.

Reference Passage : … Romans 6:26, … 23 [NIV] … USE THIS LINK
… We get to choose the road we follow … the road to death or the road to life.

My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Remi Oyedele, uses a a literary reference to illustrate that following the road of sin can lead many down the path of death. And the ODB author wrote: Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mystery The Clocks features antagonists who commit a series of murders. Although their initial plot targeted a single victim, they began taking more lives in order to cover up the original crime. When confronted by Poirot, a conspirator confessed, “It was only supposed to be the one murder.” 

Actually, I don’t think we need a dramatic novel to get the idea that we get to choose the road in life we will take. Certainly, Jesus made the road He was walking very clear, didn’t He (see the Matthew 7 and Luke 9 references above)?

But the Jewish leaders of the day and so many of the people following them chose to walk a wider road to perdition; and over the years of history since the cross and Christ’s resurrection, that road has led to the eternal death of millions of misdirected and lost souls.

But fortunately, Jesus has given us another road to follow (see the Romans 6 passages); and for those who follow His, more narrow, way, it leads to life. And I pray all who read this today are following that road.

=============
My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for leading us down Your narrow road to eternal life.
=============

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to steer away from that dark road (see photo) leading to death, following Jesus’ command (Luke 9:23) to follow Him. … Amen

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.

No comments: