BBD 08.11.21 Of Crooked Rivers and Men (Classic)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
Classic from 2002
The Burning Bush Devotional
11 August 2021
Of Crooked Men and Rivers
Prepare
the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and
every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight
and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. - Luke
3:4c-6.
A very
well known quote “Following
the path of least resistance is what makes rivers and men crooked” comes alive in the following: Maurice Gladney explained he robbed
someone on the street in St. Louis because it would help him deal with his
distress following the Rams’ losing in the Super Bowl. Donald Guthrie after
robbing the M&T Bank in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania said that he needed the
money to pay for the bill he owed to the bail bondsman from his last arrest.
Douglas Harrison and others became robbers because they wanted to go back to
jail. Why? Because jail felt like home to them. Apparently,
these men have followed the path of least resistance in their lives and have
ended up in a very literal way making their lives crooked.
Jesus
tells us “Enter by the narrow gate; for 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 7:13-14).” To the extent that we follow the wisdom of the world, which is
the “broad gate,” we too will have crookedness in our lives. In order to have
salvation we must enter in the “narrow gate” which is Jesus Christ (John
14:6). Through Jesus, we find the only way of
salvation, we find truth, and we find life. Jesus is not the path of least
resistance. Following Jesus is not the easy life (Luke 9:23-26), but it is the only
life that will allow and empower us to avoid the crookedness of the world.
John
the Baptist quoting the words of Isaiah said, “The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth.” Then he said, “all flesh shall
see the salvation of God.” The
salvation of God is Jesus. Only through Jesus can we daily deny ourselves, take
up our crosses, and follow Him. Only through Jesus can we avoid the crookedness
and perverseness of the world. Only through Jesus can the crooked be made
straight.
Looking
back at the path of your life do you see a path that is straight and true or
are there some curves and squiggles back there? Allow the Lord to keep your
path straight and true. Follow Him. Focus in upon Jesus (Hebrews 12:3).
Copyright © 1998 - 2021. Ed Wrather.
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