May 11, 2021 / Way
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Have you ever really stopped to think about these words? Jesus is saying, in no uncertain terms, “There is no other way to find the Father except through Me, His Son.” Good works won’t show you the way. Good intentions will not grant you directions. Saying the right words and worshipping at the right times will not guarantee His presence. Only the Son can show you the way. Only Jesus can claim to BE the Way.
The early church was first called The Way because they held the words above to be true without a shed of doubt. They called themselves the Way because they worshipped the Way, the only Way to the Father; the only gate, the only vine, the only truth, the only life.
The devil will try and convince you that there are many ways to take. He’ll try and talk you into taking the path more traveled, the wide path that leads to destruction. He’ll try and convince you that his way is much easier and much more fun. He’ll put thoughts in your head that will lead you to trust in the worldly way. “Everyone is doing it,” he’ll tell you and he’ll bring you voices that agree with him. Before you know it, your so far off the way of salvation that your lost and alone with no one to depend on but yourself.
Even for those who have lost their way, however, God continues to shine a light to lead you to the way to heaven. Isaiah 30:18-22 gives us a glimpse of what this looks like saying, “Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!”
The way of the Lord is not always the easiest path, but it is the only way to lead you to glory. The world will try and pull you off the path, but God will be beside you to give you the strength to remain balanced and focused. The devil is no match for those who have their eyes set like flint on the goal of reaching the Father and Jesus is the only Way to find Him because it is through Him alone that you will find your determination and strength.
Proverbs 12:28 reminds us that, “In the path of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.” The Way has been presented, His life given as a ransom for our sins so that His light might be the one to lead us to the Father. His righteousness has become our own because of His self-less sacrifice and in that righteousness is found the Way, the Truth and the Life.
At the end of this path that leads to the Father, sin and death will be no more. All sorrow and sickness will be behind us. All anger and resentment a thing of the past. Trust in the only Way to glory. Surrender your fight against your Savior. Allow Him to lead you all the way to heaven. Please pray with me:
Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Way. Keep us focused on the goal and keep us steadfast in our faithfulness. Forgive us when we stray of the path to salvation and lead us back by Your light. Amen.
