"I AM THE PATH"

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6a)

Bible teacher E. Stanley Jones told the story of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle. There was nothing around him but thick bush and a few cleared spaces. He came upon a local village and asked one of the men if he could lead him out of the jungle. When the native agreed, the missionary said, "Well, show me the way." The African man responded, "Walk." So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour. The missionary began to get worried. "Are you sure this is the right way?  Where is the path?" The man said, "Friend, in this place there is no path. I am the path."

It is a jungle out there -- from anything-goes culture to polar-opposite politics, the path of life is overgrown with too many opinions and too little time. It's hard to see the forest for the trees. We need clear direction. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12). Jesus walked in His Father's footsteps, illuminating a path for others who desire to find their way. 

-- Adapted from “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians” by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose

#6493

THE POWER OF GOOD POETRY

“1 Blessed is the one
     who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
     or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
     and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
     which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
     whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
     They are like chaff
     that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
     nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
     but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”  (Psalm 1 NIV)

Psalm 1 contains three metaphors that bounce back and forth in a chiastic structure. This means the ideas of verse 1 match up with that of verse 6, verse 2 connects with verse 5, and verse 3 to verse 4.

The opening and closing metaphor contrasts the picture of a deceptive party seeking to corrupt travelers, and the Lord watching over the righteous, telling them what roads will lead to destruction. The second image we’re given in verses 2 and 5 contrasts the law being a source of delight for the righteous, and the wicked being exposed by it in a courtroom. The middle metaphor shows us someone being planted by rushing streams, and another being blown away by powerful winds. Both are in proximity to forces they cannot control. But whereas one is a source of nourishment to its neighbors, the other is a destructive power that tosses them about.

The use of contrast when mirroring these ideas not only makes the message of the poem clear, but compelling. The message is, “A blessed life is not a destination the wicked can point you to, but the results of enjoying the journey with God.”

The metaphor is simple. But the message is anything but. 

-- Excerpted from Lo Alaman in “Wake-up Call”

#6408

THE WAY TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY

“We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:3b-5 NIV)

Imagine you are walking through a garden and you notice a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. What would happen if, in an effort to help it, you took some scissors and snipped the cocoon away?

In a few hours you would witness a tragedy. The wings, shrunken and shriveled, would not fill out with all their potential beauty. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the butterfly would drag a broken body through its short life. The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to be free from it are God’s way of forcing fluid into the butterfly’s wings. The “merciful” snip would have been in reality quite cruel.

The way to spiritual maturity is often difficult and ugly, forcing us to embrace our poverty before God and our dependence upon Him. We must learn to struggle well, not avoid the fight while building a shining exterior. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need.  

-- Adapted from an article entitled “Not According to Plan” by Jeff Jernigan in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

#6365

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LORD

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does.”  (Psalm 145:17)

Imagine the incredible opportunity that lies before you simply because you serve a righteous God. No matter where you are on the journey -- just beginning, halfway through, or nearing the final stretch -- you can choose today to walk in greater righteousness. You can choose to honor God in your relationships, in your work, in your marriage, and in the way you raise your children.

Deep within us is a longing to live rightly and to know God -- who is always righteous, never unpredictable or unjust. And the good news is this: the God who walks with us is perfectly righteous, eternally good, and utterly trustworthy. By His example and His strength, we are invited to share in that righteousness and reflect it in every part of our lives.

Here’s a practical way to view this: Righteousness is living in such a way that God’s heart shapes your heart; God’s ways shape your choices; God’s truth shapes your worldview; God’s love shapes your relationships. It’s becoming more like Him because you walk with Him. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8 NIV)  

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6349

ALIGNING OUR LIVES WITH GOD

“If My people would only listen to Me, if Israel would only follow My ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!”  (Psalm 81:13-14 NIV)

God wants us to align our lives with Him so He will accomplish His divine purposes in and through us. God is not our servant to bless our plans and desires. He is our Lord, and we must adjust our lives to what He is doing and to the ways He chooses to accomplish His work. If we will not submit to God and His ways, He will allow us to follow our own devices. But be sure of this: we will miss God’s activity, and we will not experience what God wants to do through us to bless others. As Christians, it is not only important what we do but how we do it…

How you do something is as important as what you do. It is possible to do the right thing in the wrong way or at the wrong time. It is possible to perform a task God assigns but to do it in such an ungodly manner that it actually harms the cause of Christ rather than supporting it. Doing things God’s way is critical. 

-- Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”

#5989

THE JESUS WAY

“Thomas said to Jesus, ‘Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:5-6 NIV)

Bible teacher E. Stanley Jones told the story of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle.  There was nothing around him but thick bush and a few cleared spaces.  He came upon a local village and asked one of the men if he could lead him out of the jungle.  When the native agreed, the missionary said, "Well, show me the way."  The African man responded, "Walk."  So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour.  The missionary began to get worried.  "Are you sure this is the right way?  Where is the path?"  The man said, "Friend, in this place there is no path.  I am the path."

It is a jungle out there -- from pop culture to pop psychology, the path of life is overgrown with too many opinions and too little time.  It's hard to see the forest for the trees.  We need clear direction.  Jesus said, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life" (John 8:12).  Jesus walked in His Father's footsteps, illuminating a path for others who desire to find their way. 

-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians” 

#5921

GOD’S GRACIOUS GUIDANCE

“To you, O Lord, I offer my prayer; in You, my God, I trust… Teach me Your ways, O Lord; make them known to me. Teach me to live according to Your truth, for You are my God, who saves me. I always trust in you... He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them His will. With faithfulness and love He leads all who keep His covenant and obey His commands.”  (Excerpts from Psalm 25 GNT)

A letter came from a minister who, [after hearing a call to mission work}, felt obliged to leave his congregation and denomination, and now, like Abraham, goes out not knowing [to what place or situation]. In his letter, he quoted from a hymn by Charles Wesley on the sovereignty and security of God’s guidance. Guidance, like all God’s acts of blessing under the covenant of grace, is a sovereign act. Not merely does God will to guide us in the sense of showing us His way, that we may tread it; He wills also to guide us in the more fundamental sense of ensuring that, whatever happens, whatever mistakes we may make we shall come safe home. Slippings and strayings there will be, no doubt, but the everlasting arms are beneath us; we shall be caught, rescued, restored. This is God’s promise; this is how good He is… Here is the verse from Wesley:

“Captain of Israel’s host and Guide
Of all who seek the land above,
Beneath Thy shadow we abide,
The Cloud of Thy protecting love;
Our strength, Thy grace; our rule, Thy Word;
Our end, the glory of the Lord.”

 -- Adapted from J. I. Packer in “Knowing God” (1973)

#5898

FOLLOWING GOD’S PATH

“I long for Your salvation, Lord, and Your law gives me delight. Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commands.”  (Psalm 119:174-176 NIV)

In these verses, the psalmist expresses a deep longing for God’s salvation and a delight in His law. Let’s explore three key points from this passage:

Longing for Salvation: Life can be challenging, and we often find ourselves in need of rescue. The psalmist acknowledges this longing for salvation -- a desire for God to intervene, deliver, and redeem. As believers, we too can cry out to God when we feel lost, broken, or overwhelmed. Our hope rests in His saving grace.

Delighting in God’s Law: The psalmist finds joy in God’s law. This isn’t a mere set of rules; it’s a reflection of God’s character and wisdom. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, we discover God’s heart. His commands guide us, protect us, and lead us toward abundant life.

Acknowledging Our Straying: Like lost sheep, we sometimes wander away from God’s path. We make mistakes, lose focus, and drift along with the culture. Yet, even in our waywardness, God seeks us out. He doesn’t abandon us. Instead, He lovingly calls us back, inviting us to return to His ways.

Heavenly Father, we long for Your salvation. Your law is our delight, and we seek to live according to Your commands. When we stray from Your path, gently guide us back to You. May our lives be a testimony of Your sustaining grace. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

-- Author Unknown

#5852

TURNING FROM OUR OWN WAY

“Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ He said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’”  (Mark 1:14b-15 NIV)

Repentance is turning from our own way to God's way.  The evidences that we are going our own way are manifested in religious, moral, material, or social spheres.  We must repent specifically of these sins, for until repentance gets down to the specifics, it is not repentance.  But our basic sin is that we choose our own way rather than God's.  When we repent we say to God that we hand over to Him the reins of our lives.  We do what He wants us to do, not what we want to do. 

-- Ajith Fernando in “The Christian's Attitude Toward World Religions” 

#5545

KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”  (Jude 20-21 NIV)

The [disciples] all had a good beginning with Jesus. Their signs of loyalty, fidelity, and faithfulness came often in their brief time with Jesus. And yet in many of the crucial times for Jesus and for them, the truth is that they drifted astray. They lost sight of Jesus and His way and focused on themselves and their way….

The bad news [today] is that individuals, congregations, and denominations can drift away. It happens so easily. It happens the moment we take our eyes off Jesus Christ. The moment we lose our center we begin to lose our way. We know it does not have to be that way because every day we can keep our eyes upon Jesus Christ and ask for guidance and grace to remain faithful. The good news Christians share is that Jesus Christ is able and willing to guide and enable us on our journey toward our true home with God. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

#5521

FREE AND RESPONSIBLE

“Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  (Philippians 2:3-4 RSV)

Don’t be afraid of yourself, live your individuality to the full -- but for the good of others. Don’t copy others in order to buy fellowship, or make convention your law instead of living the righteousness.

To become free and responsible. For this alone were human beings created, and he who fails to take the Way which could have been his shall be lost eternally. 

-- Dag Hammarskjold in “Markings”

#5380

A FORK IN THE ROAD

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”  (Joshua 24:15 NIV)

I’ve always laughed at Yogi Berra’s old dictum: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” However, it’s not very helpful in making significant decisions in life.

When we come to a fork in the road, where a decision on which way to go is required, it becomes a crucial moment in our lives and the life of the church. Crucial moment literally means "the moment of the cross." So when we face a fork in the road we need to take the path where the shadow of the cross falls, not where the culture is beating a path. I believe wholeheartedly that you'll not only see the shadow of the cross, you will see the fresh footprints of the Savior. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson

#5356

JESUS OUR GUIDE

“’Lord,’ said Thomas, ‘we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’”  (John 14:5-6a)

In “A Slow and Certain Light,” missionary Elisabeth Elliott tells of two adventurers who stopped by to see her, all loaded with equipment for the rain forest east of the Andes. They sought no advice, just a few phrases to converse with the Indians.

She writes: “Sometimes we come to God as the two adventurers came to me -- confident and, we think, well-informed and well-equipped. But has it occurred to us that with all our accumulation of stuff, something is missing?”

She suggests that we often ask God for too little. “We know what we need -- a yes or no answer, please, to a simple question. Perhaps a road sign. Something quick and easy to point the way.

“What we really ought to have is the Guide Himself. Maps, road signs, a few useful phrases are good things, but infinitely better is Someone who has been there before and knows the way.” 

-- From “750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers” compiled by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal

#5349

JESUS CALLING - TRUST IN ME

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)

Relax in My healing, holy presence. Allow Me to transform you through this time alone with Me. As your thoughts center more and more and more on Me, trust displaces fear and worry. Your mind is somewhat like a seesaw. As your trust in Me goes up, fear and worry automatically go down. Time spent with Me not only increases your trust; it also helps you discern what is important and what is not.

Energy and time are precious, limited entities. Therefore, you need to use them wisely, focusing on what is truly important. As you walk close to Me, saturating your mind with Scripture, I will show you how to spend your time and energy.       

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV) 

-- Sarah Young in “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence”

#5263

GOD’S WAYS LEAD TO LIFE

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

God wants us to know more than His character; He also wants us to learn His ways. You see, God’s ways are not our ways. We cannot know how God acts unless He teaches us. God is infinitely wise. He sees the future. He understands our world and everything that takes place in it. God knows the eternal consequences of every action, of every act of obedience or disobedience to His Word. God’s ways lead to life. His ways bring joy. They are holy and perfect. Doing things God’s way is always best. 

-- Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”

#5077

THE NARROW WAY

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Was Jesus narrow-minded? Well, in a sense He was. In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount He said, “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).

If Jesus was right about this, then He was being appropriately narrow-minded. He was being like parents who are narrow enough to insist that their children walk on the sidewalk and not in the street, or a doctor who limits his prescriptions to medicine that will actually help people rather than [a placebo that would do nothing or a poison that would harm them], or the airline pilot who restricts his landing options to that narrow path to life called a runway, rather than trying to put the airplane down in a cornfield.

You see, we really want narrow approaches -- as long as they are based on truth and point us in the direction that’s best for us.

Jesus gave us every reason to believe He was telling the truth, and that He loves us enough to lead us toward forgiveness, life and an eternity with Him.

As the apostle Peter said: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  C. S. Lewis put it this way: "One road leads home and a thousand roads lead into the wilderness." 

-- Lee Strobel in “The Case for Christianity Answer Book”

#5049

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." (John 14:6a NRSV)

The way implies that which is to be followed in order to get to a specific place. We are always going somewhere in life. It is like having a map that enables us to get from where we are to where we want to be. Such a condition raises the question, "Where do we want to be?" The Westminster Catechism answers the question, "What is the chief end of man?" (i.e. What is the purpose of life?) "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." The prophet Micah asked the question this way, "... what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8). To walk with God means to follow the pathway that He would have us travel. Jesus is the way.

That way must be the true way if it is to lead to fullness of life. Jesus warned, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them ..." (Matthew 7:15,16). What a clear object lesson. The sheep are gentle, who would be afraid of them? But a violent, angry, savage wolf is a creature to fear and avoid. False ideas, false ways, a false inner spirit, leads astray. When we are mislead we cannot get to where we want to be, where we ought to be. The false prophet, the false leader, the false witness, all seek to injure us or at least manipulate us for their own advantage. The true guide in life seeks the good of the ones he or she is leading. As Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). Jesus not only teaches what is true, He is the truth. Jesus said, before Pilate, "...for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me" (John 18:37). So it is our faith that the way Jesus leads is the way that is true; and being true, it is the way that leads to life. 

-- Rev. Kenneth A. Mortonson in “What Do You See?” 

#4972

CLOSED TOMBS AND CLOSED DOORS

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

“Resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing.”  (Frederick Buechner)

Frederick Buechner moved to New York to become a writer, only to find he couldn’t write a word. He tried to go into his uncle’s advertising business but wasn’t tough enough. He tried to join the CIA but didn’t have the stomach for it. He fell in love with a girl who did not fall in love with him. He writes, “It all sounds like a kind of inane farce as I set it down here, with every door I tried to open slammed on my foot, yet I suppose it was a kind of pilgrim’s progress.”

It was door closing because he was disappointed in options he wanted. It was progress because it led to him finding, or being found by, God. And in his faith he has written words that have inspired millions of others in their faith. But that door never could have opened if many other doors hadn’t closed first.

-- John Ortberg in “All the Places to Go: How Will You Know?”

#4831

GOD’S WAYS AND PLANS

Even the casual or uninformed reader of the Bible can see that God’s ways and plans are different from those of people. God uses Kingdom principles to accomplish Kingdom purposes.

God’s ways are redemptive, loving, and compassionate. His ways bring cleansing and forgiveness and build people up. His ways bring humility. His way is the way of service and love. God does not simply wait to help us achieve our goals for Him. He desires to accomplish His own purposes through us -- and in His own way.

God said, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways” (Isaiah 55:8). We will not carry out God’s plan with our methods. This is one of the basic sin problems people face: “We all went astray like seep; we all have turned to our own way” (Isaiah 53:6). It is foolish to think we can accomplish God’s work by using the world’s methodology and values.

-- Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King in “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”


#4774

DOING WHAT’S RIGHT

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”  (Judges 21:25)

Many times over in the Book of Judges God has shown Israel how He sees things. He urges them to live according to His ways, to do what is right in God’s eyes. But continually they instead do what is right in their eyes, according to how they see things.

It was a hot summer afternoon on the Los Angeles freeway.  I was driving along, when suddenly, in the middle lane was a pickup truck, going about 50 mph, with a makeshift swimming pool in the bed of the truck.  Three children were having the time of their lives, yelling and splashing.

The next morning in the newspaper there was a photo of the truck, wet children, and an embarrassed driver being handed a traffic citation.  The driver was quoted as saying, "It was so hot and the kids were having so much fun, I just hated to stop them."

Everybody in that truck thought they were free to do whatever they wanted -- what was right in their eyes.  Well, I know this: Freedom is not doing what we please; it's pleasing God in what we do. It’s doing what is right in God’s eyes.

-- adapted from Luci Swindoll in “Extravagant Grace”

#4617