The Narrow Path
The pictures above are of a path in Georgia, it’s a wildflower trail of which it appears I missed the wildflowers. It leads to a beautiful layered waterfall which as well I failed to reach. It had just rained and the wooden path was extremely slippery. I was wearing Salomon hiking shoes and it did not matter. I almost slipped several times and had to take one careful step at a time. It was the middle of June, heavy humidity feeling like what the Amazon jungle might feel like. The last photo is a fallen tree blocking the rest of the path to the waterfall. As I peered over the log, there was no more wooden path, and an undefined trail, overgrown with tree limbs and bushes. This time of year snakes love to roam and ticks are abundant so I decided against trying to find the waterfall and returned carefully back to my car. It was the most uneventful hike I have done in TN but it did remind me of my walk with The Most High YAH. Treading carefully and circumspectly trying not to fall, surrounded by beauty as well as possibilities of danger, uncertainty with a need for strong discernment and faith. Later I reviewed this trail on YouTube where others have hiked before and I could see that this trail is not normally so over grown and that the path of the trail after the downed tree can more clearly be seen along with any possible hazards because snakes as dangerous as copperheads and rattlers are a surety during the time I was there. Sometimes we have to listen to that still small voice that says turn back now, or continue on in faith with discernment to guide our decision. His sheep Hear His voice and I believe I heard Him telling me, not today. I pray that we all hear His voice in all times of decision making, but most importantly, in those times; I pray that we take heed.
All praises to The Most High YAHWEH, the ELOHIM of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I thank Him for sustaining me and allowing me to come back again and share more of my journey as I continue to walk in His purpose for my life.
I have been taking long breaks between devotionals and I am not sure why. Sometimes I still doubt if I have anything to say or if this is really what YAH called me to do. Other times, I feel like I neglect to write the things that YAH has placed on my heart to share. Whatever action it is I am called to do in service to Him, I only want to bring glory to His esteem and keep Him at the center of all that I do. With that said time to be transparent. My walk with Him is at times weak, messy, reeks of procrastination and is spent in much solitude, but when I take the time to look at where my life and my heart is now, the person I am now compared to 5 or 10 years ago, or even five minutes ago is overjoyed with how much of the world, I have let go. When I say that I spend much of my time in solitude that may scare people who are very social, but everyone is different and I am not particularly social. While I love people, I really do, I’m more comfortable not being around very many all the time because I only want to talk about The Most High. I don’t really have much conversation or interest in anything else, so if I am around you and am quiet, it’s because I really have nothing to contribute to the topic at hand unless I can spin it into a discussion about The Most High. On the other hand, if a person loves to talk about YAHWEH and YESHUA and discuss scriptures like I do, I am comfortable to hang out all day and night. 🙂 I say this to let you know the reality of walking with Him and regardless, don’t let anything in this world come between you and the redemption He has laid out for you. When walking with YAHWEH - YESHUA we are truly never alone and if you are already in covenant with Him, fight through the weak, messy procrastination, stay studied up and in prayer because this walk is a constant battle while behind the scenes our MASHIACH YESHUA has already won the war for all who are His.
When coming into the truth, a person may find themselves surrounded by like minded people, but if that is not the case like with me, it must be understood that we are living in a time of wheat and tares. Clear lines are being drawn, iniquity is increasing in the world and since being luke warm is not an option, we all much choose ye this day whom we will serve. I have made my choice and I only want the rest of my days to reflect praise, gratefulness and obedience to my ELOHIM, and I pray the same for you.
The name of this devotional came to me months ago as I began to purge, unlearn and relearn scripture based on the literal word, being led by the RUACH alone. If this is your goal, it can be difficult in this raging age of information. Everyone seems to think that they are the ones who knows the absolute correct interpretation of truth in scripture. However, Paul declares that we know in part and in the time of completion, the times of only knowing in part will be done away which suggests to me that there will come a time when YAH will reveal all things to us. So if right now we only know in part, why are we so separated over interpretations of doctrine when Saul taught that we should be on one accord? In these turbulent times of uncertainty, I find that what is most important is the great commission where we are called to make disciples of others, baptizing them and communicating to them that they are to observe all the things YESHUA commanded of the disciples. All He commanded can be found in the 1st 4 books of the New Testament. There are extremely important things to focus on regarding how we love our ELOHIM and how we treat each other and live in community with one another, and all of these details are found in the 10 commandments, the Levitical and Deuteronomic laws. However, differences in opinions on these things tend to divide the body and YESHUA said in both Matthew and Mark that a house divided cannot stand. I believe this is a huge reason why the body is failing to come together and so many are falling away. How can new believers and those weak in their beliefs trust the body who can’t agree on how we serve The Most High YAH?
Take a moment to ponder on the concept of all His people today collectively as one body in YESHUA, calling on The Most High like they did in Judges 10. Even though the Israelites continued to fail YAHWEH and turn their back on Him by worshipping other gods, they still seemed to somehow pull it together, remember Him and cry out to our ELOHIM. When they did, He was moved as the text says He was “grieved” by their agony and went before them in battle. What’s funny is that before He did, He literally said “Why are you crying out to me? Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen, let them deliver you” This made me drop my jaw, because it’s so real and I can relate to Him saying that very thing to me; “Liana, why don’t you cry out to that hamburger you rather eat when your job frustrates you than to come to me in fasting and prayer” He is a real and living God with personality and character and who, like He already told us, is a Jealous ELOHIM, who loves us. He is patient and merciful and attends to our real needs to 1, bring glory to His esteem and 2, because He chose us and loves us as His children. He not only provides for us but He fights for us in ways we can’t see and could not possibly understand in our human state.
No matter how disobedient and unfaithful, when the Israelites would repent, YAHWEH, showed up and delivered His people every single time. So no matter how lost the world is now and no matter how divided we are within the believing body, still we are not without hope. He knew we were raggedy, ungrateful children then, and knew we would be the same today; this is why He made a plan of escape from His wrath by sending our Messiah, His son, YESHUA. YAHWEH made atonement easier so now when we are foolish toward one another, fall away from Him and transgress His ways, we don’t have to kill a goat. We have the death and resurrection of YESHUA and we can repent, put our trust and hope in our High Priest Ha’Maschiach and allow the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to lead us back to the ways of YAHWEH.
So many groups in the truth believe they have the right interpretation of scripture and if others do not interpret scripture the way they do, then they are lost. The reality is that this division is weakening the body because the focus should be on spreading the news regarding the way of salvation. The lost ones need to hear that they must come to YAHWEH, and accept His Son’s sacrifice as the final and perfect atonement for our transgressions/sin. So many do not even know that they are dead in their transgressions and need to be quickened in order to return to The Father. Those of us who know the truth really need to focus on telling these dead ones how they are transgressing His ways, repent, accept YESHUA as savior and King, get in covenant with YAHWEH and LIVE; because right now all those who walk in the ways of the world are dead, they just don’t know it.
Scripture is always correct, and the New Testament scribe the words of YESHUA stating that the road leading to life is narrow and not only is it narrow, it’s hard to find, and even if you find it there is a gate; and then even the gate is narrow. (I can see myself now trying to shimmy and squeeze through that gate). It really is time for siloed groups to stop bickering over interpretations thinking they are the only ones who have the truth when only YAHWEH knows the truth in full. Just because a person belongs to any one of the popular siloed groups we see on YouTube today, including Christianity, does not mean that group is on the narrow path. Each individual person like scripture says, must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling and in that, join together with like minded believers as the body in MASHIACH.
Think circumspectly about this when pondering for example, a group of 50 who are followers of The Most High and His ways. It could be only 3 from that group of 50, and another few from another group, making it on to that narrow path and so on. We can’t believe that just because we are in a certain named group or ministry that we are the only ones with 100% correct interpretation and understanding in when the day begins and ends, lineage, feast days and their dates, how to celebrate them and how to follow the laws. What is important in all of this is that we do believe, we do keep, and that we do follow. Above all else the one interpretation where it is critical that we all agree on is clear and true as it is written which is to baptize and disciple others as YESHUA commanded, accept YESHUA as our final sacrifice for atonement of our sins, understanding that He is our High Priest, King and Savior being the only way to YAHWEH and in this, bring esteem to our ELOHIM by loving YAHWEH with all our heart mind and soul, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. Stay studied up on the 10 commandments and the laws He gave us because they exist to teach us how to do these very things.
Shalom & Berekah!
1 Corinthians 13:8-12 - I suggest reading the entire chapter