The Narrow Way

THE NARROW WAY

*

Jesus climbed mountains.

If you have ever climbed a mountain you can be sure that He found the way hard and narrow. Why are mountain paths so narrow?

Two reasons come to mind 1, the terrain, and 2, the lack of crowds.

The higher we climb the narrower the path.

*

This I believe is true for the spiritual narrow way. It's entry point is very narrow; we enter through the Gate of Salvation. We cannot enter through this gate carrying anything, in other words we cannot put our trust in our own works or in anything other than in Jesus and the work that He accomplished when He died for our sins. (One of Jesus' well remembered sayings is that it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The eye of a needle was the name given to a gate to the city of Jerusalem, if a camel was to get through it had to go through unburdened and on its knees!!)

*

At the start of our Christian walk we understand very little except the wonder of our salvation but, as we continue to walk - ever upward - we get a very different perspective of the life "down below".

*

And the path continues to narrow.... this means - inevitably - to the loss of companions. They may fall or give up as they find the way too hard. Sometimes a fog descends and we can only be still and wait before going any further. Other times we find the path drops into a valley which can be very discouraging. When this happens we must remember that the way still leads upward although the reverse may seem to be the case.

*

The greatest truth about the narrow way is that at the very end of our earthly walk our only companion is God. All other companions will have left our side; our only hope is in God. We cannot trust to another. It is far better if we learn to rely on Him and get to really know Him before we get to our death bed - if we trust Him in life - how much easier and sweeter will be our end!

Meditations on Rainbows

The rainbow is a reminder and a symbol of the Promise of God to His Creation; that He would never again destroy the earth... Read the story in Genesis - the first book in the Bible - chapters 6, 7 & 9.

*

The Rainbow Fabric

*

When time is finished every rainbow that ever filled the sky since the time of Noah will be seen. This will reveal the most wonderful woven covering of every possible colour and hue - so completely covering the earth that no part can be seen that is not covered by the spectrum of colour. Each rainbow ever formed is like a multicololoured thread that forms part of this coat of many colours. Only God from His eternal perspective - seeing the end from the beginning can see this covering. One day I believe we too will see this glory and begin to understand the greatness of the Grace of God that covers us with His Glory.

*

If we could set up a camera for a time lapse photograph of rainbows we may after many hundreds of years have a picture of a sky shining with a fabric of colour. This, of course, is impossible to achieve as the rainbow does not appear with enough frequence to enable such a photo. If the weather conditions allowed, one day would show rainbows at different levels as the sun rose and sank in the sky but, even if such a day happened it would only allow the perspective of one person in one place. But God is in every place and can see all the angles and we can be sure that no area of the earth has not been covered at some time.

*

We all know that the rainbow is caused by refracted light and needs the presence of water and sun to exist. God gave us the rainbow as a sign of His Mercy and the rainbow is caused by the bringing together of water and sun. We need both for life - too much of one without the other makes us call out for mercy and we do need reminding that we are dependant upon His Mercy.