“Jesus said, ‘Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.’” Matthew 7:13b-14

Hard Reality

In thinking about all those I love in my family, work place and friends over the years, many do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ and (think) they don’t want one. It breaks my heart. How can I make a difference? The only solution is prayer.

Prayer for hearts that would be sensitive and open to God’s reality of love and true solace. Prayer that comes into the presence of God in faith and in boldness knowing our Lord hears and desires that no one be lost. Prayer that goes after that lost lamb who has wandered off.

Prayer also for me that I would be obedient in love to speak up or go to someone when inconvenient or uncomfortable and do the extraordinary in His enabling, giving beyond my ability and sharing with my actions and with my words from my Father’s heart.

If they could only realize that, “Your lovingkindess is better than life” (Psalm 63:3) and how Jesus proved this to us on the cross, suffering the intensity of the sin of ages as well as painful torture beyond imagination. I know we can’t begin to fathom this atrocity, nor His level of suffering in love.

Yet, in knowing this unrelenting love, I believe the Lord gives us the ability and courage to step up and out. This is what we are created for, to live fully in His abundant life, sharing it with a needy, dying world. This is our joy when we live His love out in our individual gifting and circumstances.

Jesus says in His Word to “strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).

This is a hard reality. Out of all the billions of people who have and will live through the ages, only a “few” will find it. I pray He gives us eyes and hearts to help people find it.

“Dear heavenly Father, we do trust in You and in Your Word. Only in You are the Words of eternal life. We entrust ourselves to You, to commit to pleasing You through obedience in love to reach out to a lost and needy world around us. Father, enable us by the power of the Holy Spirit to make a difference for You. In Jesus’ Name.”