Definitely Watch Which Way You Are Going

I have had this annoying allergy cough since the season started changing. It sounds a lot worse than it is. I think I nearly have it under control though. I’m glad it was nothing more than allergies. I remember once when I had a combination allergy cough and bronchitis…for weeks. It wore me out to the point I could hardly tell which way I was going. 

I continued to work through the whole thing. I know I was driving everyone around me crazy. I was not contagious…just annoying, and exhausted! I was so exhausted that I probably did not need to be driving. 

I went out at lunch one day to run some errands. On the way back to the office I was sitting at one of the busiest interchanges in the area. I had my left turn signal on. When the light turned green the person on the other side motioned for me to go ahead and turn. I took them up on that offer. <sigh> It just so happened that my turn signal was on for the next intersection. I was so exhausted that I followed the hand signals of a stranger and turned down into one of the busiest Interstate on-ramps in the city, yes, going the wrong way!

I was blessed in that the wave of traffic coming toward me was far enough out that I could flip a U-turn in time to avoid disaster. 

How do we avoid disaster in our spiritual lives? We take direction from God above direction from man. Jesus gave us perfect directions to get to Him. In John 14:4-7, Jesus is telling His disciples they should know Him and should know how to get where He is going.   

We all know that it sometimes took a little bit before the disciples got His messages.  In this instance, for Thomas, as for many others, it was about a physical location; and he could not pinpoint the physical place where Jesus was going to be with God. So his question was, if we don’t know where You are going, how can we possibly know how to get there? 

Of course Jesus was not talking about a physical location. He told them that He is the Only Way to God. He is the Only Real Truth. He is Life in its very essence. There is no other way to God. 

I can almost feel His frustration when telling them that if they knew Him, they should know the Father; and point blank He told them that since they have seen Him, they have seen the Father. He was telling them He is the only Way. His directions are the only ones that will get you to God. 

Jesus clearly states Who He Is and what He is—as in Way, Truth and Life. He is that way to the Father, the ONLY way to the Father.

The challenge and application, are the same with this passage. We must attempt, each and every day, to live our lives in such a way that others will want to join us on that road that leads to God, and don’t pay attention to the hand signals of the world who are possibly more distracted than we are. 

What does this mean to my faith?  In living out my faith on a daily basis,  the fact that Jesus makes this so simple—He gives a clear pathway—helps me come to each day knowing which Way to go, which Truth to believe and the opportunity to partake in real, authentic Life. 

Lord, help me to truly “get” this. Help me have the desire to want to share it with others.

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“4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” John 14:4-7 (KJV)

 “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.”  Matthew 7:13-14.

“8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:” Isaiah 35:8-9 (KJV)

“12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12 (KJV)

“11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”  1 John 5:11-12 (KJV)

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I feel that since God has given me the gift of this platform, I must always tell you about Him.  

Do you know the God of grace? He created a perfect world. He loved His creation. Then, through the disobedience of man, God’s created beings, sin came into that perfect world. God, as the Creator, was the only One that could redeem His creation. Over two thousand years ago, a season in time came to be when Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, God in the flesh, was born as a tiny babe. (Christianity.com has a very good article about how Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies of the much looked for Messiah. Of course the better place to read this is in the Bible itself.) He lived a sinless life. At the age of about thirty, He began His earthly ministry. Jesus was abandoned by His followers, tortured and crucified to death. This He did deliberately, giving up His life freely. He was buried in a borrowed tomb that was heavily guarded by Roman soldiers. Then, as He had promised His followers, He arose from that grave on the third day. “Why,” you ask, “would He do this, go through this?” Ah, the reason… Love…Grace. He did it for you, His beloved creation! He did it for me also, of which I am eternally thankful. The thing is, He gave His life as redemption for the sin of the whole world. This same Jesus will come into your life. God is Spirit. You come to Him in spirit. Confess to Him that you realize you are a sinner. Tell Him that you believe that Jesus is His Son-His only Son, that He came to this earth to redeem you. Tell Him that you will turn away from a sinful life and follow the teachings of Jesus. Then find a local, Bible-believing church and become involved with the fellowship of the Church.

Here is an excellent website that can give you additional information about making your decision for Jesus Christ! PeaceWithGod.net

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