Day Four Matthew 7:13-14
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
Learn From the Word
Jesus presents two options for how we can choose to live our lives – we can choose the wide and popular path that leads to everlasting destruction, or the narrow path that leads to everlasting life. A third option doesn’t exist. Jesus says few find the narrow path, but that doesn’t mean it’s hidden. He tells His followers plainly that He is the gate that leads to eternal life. But He also clearly tells us the road won’t be easy and we will suffer along the way. We must count the cost before entering the narrow gate.
Put It Into Practice
A quick review of the entire Sermon on the Mount shows us that Jesus is clearly after our hearts and that’s what makes the road so difficult. Living in His Kingdom requires a type of righteousness and sacrificial love for others that isn’t possible apart from Him. Spend some time reviewing the Sermon. If you haven’t entered the narrow gate, you can do that now! Admit to Him your sinfulness, believe that He truly is the Savior of the world, and then commit to following Him down the narrow path that is difficult but also rich and satisfying.
For Families with Kids at Home
Jesus refers to Himself as the narrow gate, and He tells us that following Him can sometimes be difficult or unpopular. Maybe your kids have already experienced this. Maybe they’ve been pressured by friends or classmates to do something they know isn’t right. The point isn’t for our kids to be perfect or never make mistakes. Instead, following Jesus means that we acknowledge when we make mistakes, confess those to God, and trust Him to help us look more like Him over time!