“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

A friend of mine is very wealthy. When I asked if he grew up rich, he said, “No.” When I asked how he succeeded, he said, “While everyone else was partying, I was studying. Now, I can party.”

Last week, I challenged you to read the New Testament, a chapter each day. I also personally committed to do the same, so we can grow in community. So…how’s your 1st week? Diligent, or belligerent? Has it been easy, or has it been a battle?

It seems like there’s never enough time to do everything we want. There is a high-stakes battle for our attention. Advertisers pay millions for 30 seconds of your Super Bowl time. If we never had to sleep, it seems there still would not be enough time to engage in all the activities (offered by so many various entities) begging for our attention.

Why do we often find ourselves, at the end of the day, too tired for G_d or His Word? Ask yourself, have you included G_d in your list of options, or have you committed to make every option subject to spending quality time with G_d?

“In high school, I could throw a football a quarter mile! If coach had only put me in, we woulda’ took state. I woulda’ gone pro….” Uncle Rico (Napoleon Dynamite).

Do you find yourself sprinting down the “broad road”, trying to redeem a wasted past?

Matthew warns us that the “broad road” bottlenecks in a multi car pileup. But, it’s not too late to turn around. The Psalms encourage that G_d establishes the steps (and lights the way) of His children. The “narrow road” will literally broaden and be made level beneath your feet as you follow the L-rd by faith.

"Let's seek the “narrow way” together, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, faithfully pressing on toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of G_d!" Philippians 3:13-14

Keep reading the Bible together, praying this simple prayer, “L-rd, give me something today from Your Word, and give me someone to share it with!”

Blessings.

~Steve Wiggins, Assistant Rabbi

Shuvah Yisrael 

Daily Devotional, Friday April 26, 2013