I remember a story from years ago about a man journeying through the mountains. He was heading towards a particular town and needed to arrive on time. On the map he held, it was only a few miles away, as the crow flies. But he couldn’t find a safe way through the jagged and dangerous mountains between him and his destination.
Then he meets a man as he searches for a way through and explains how important it is to find a way through the mountain. He asked him to direct him to the shortest route toward his goal. But the man stated, “I know you want to go there, but you can not get there from here.”
If he wanted to go to that town, he must travel 20 miles out of the way. He had to go around the mountain and deep gorges that were in the way. Though it was only a short distance away, the terrain was completely impassable.
We can learn a lesson from this story. If you want to get to Heaven when you die, you must follow God’s path for mankind to gain salvation. If you are not on the right path, you can not take a shortcut. You have to follow God’s way as He has declared. In other words, you can not get to Heaven your way, the method of religion, or any other way. You must turn from the wrong way and get on the right path to Heaven; God says Jesus is the only way. He is the one you must follow.
Let’s take an example from our modern living. If you put an address in your GPS, you must follow the directions exactly to arrive at your destination. If it said to turn north and you turned south, you know it will tell you to turn around. If you don’t follow the directions, you will never arrive. In the same way, if you disobey God’s directions, you will remain lost and never walk His path to Heaven.
Let me give you another analogy. If you were to hit a bullseye with a bow and arrow, you would have to shoot with skill and precision. Not only that, but you would have to be in range and aim perfectly to hit your mark. If you stood a mile away from the target and aimed in the wrong direction simultaneously, your arrow would fall short, let alone fly toward the target.
Jesus used the same principle when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the gate that leads to life. He is the door that opens your heart and mind to the truth. Jesus Christ is the only way to access the path that leads to everlasting life in Heaven. You have to walk His narrow path, entered by Jesus Christ. You must follow and obey His commands and ways to gain entrance into the pearly gates.
Are you starting to see that there is a particular way one must do things to accomplish the desired result? We see this same principle in innumerable situations in our world. God has left you a map you must follow. It is called His Word, the Bible, and His Law. It will lead you to Jesus, to life, and to Heaven. Read some of the following quotes from the Bible. He is calling you to follow Him.
Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide, and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matthew 7:13-14
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done.” Matthew 16:24-27
“But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey His voice. For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that He swore to them.” Deuteronomy 4:29-31
Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent of your many sins. You must turn away from the wicked works of this world and follow His commands. You already know what they are because God has written in every man’s heart that lying, stealing, cheating, lust, hatred, immorality, jealousy, and much more are all wrong.
You must follow God’s ways and walk the narrow, righteous road only accessible through Jesus Christ. He is the only path that leads to Heaven. Every road you follow that is not the narrow road of Jesus will lead to hell and punishment for your sins. But His way leads to grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, peace, and redemption.
Finally, you may wander from sea to sea and north to south, but you will not find what you are looking for unless you seek after Jesus Christ. You must follow God’s directions, which He has written in His book, the Bible. Do not be like the rest of the world, looking in every place possible for salvation, except for the one that holds the key to Heaven, Jesus. I pray that you do not end up like those foretold in this prophecy. Instead, seek the Lord with all your heart, repent of your sins, turn and follow Him, and He will lead you on the path that leads to eternity with God.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.” Amos 8:11-12
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He thus fulfilled. Repent, therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets long ago.” Acts 3:17-21
The Soul Sower 