The Burning Bush Devotional

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08.28.08

The Scenic Route

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.

Have you ever taken the scenic route? Actually, it was going to be a short cut. We could cut through on this road to the south of Cripple Creek, Colorado and then over to Colorado Springs. It looked like only about 20 miles from the turn off to Cripple Creek. Probably only take us 30 minutes.

When we turned off on the scenic route we immediately noticed that it was not paved, but then it wasn't that bad of a road. There was quite a bit of traffic too. But within a couple of miles the highway had narrowed, and it was much rougher.

I was beginning to wish that I had a four wheel drive (Knocked a muffler and tailpipe loose and finally lost it before arriving home.). It began to rain, and I began to pray that we wouldn't slide off into one of the canyons. Four hours later we arrived in Cripple Creek, a little older and wiser. I recently talked to some people in our church who took this same scenic route on their last vacation. They too were wishing they could turn around and thought they might lose a muffler.

Before you take that beautiful scenic short cut, you just might want to check it out a little. Because you may not be able to turn around and go back the other way once you have entered in.

There are two gates with one leading to life and the other to death. There are two trees representing our lives. By inspecting the fruit from the tree of our life it is possible to determine whether we are on the path of life or the path of death. Jesus says in Matthew 7:16-20, "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." What kind of fruit is the tree of your life growing? Grapes and figs or thorns and thistles?

To be on the path of life growing the right fruit we need the right foundation. Jesus says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall (Matthew 7:24-27)."

So, if you are on the scenic route, your life is like a house built on sand, and you know that the output of your life, the fruit, is bad - what do you do? You cannot turn around by yourself, you need Jesus, you need the right foundation. Put your life into the hands of Jesus, trust Him and He will get you onto the right road, the road of life.

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