Recently God has been showing me the reality of the few on the narrow path and that His return is soon. He said many who think they are right with Him on that day will be pleading with Him saying, Lord, Lord we did this in Your name… and He will say to them, away from Me I never knew you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23).
With that occupying my mind, my prayer has been Lord show me if I am off the path, Lord correct me! I keep on seeking; keep on knocking knowing the door will be opened to me (Matthew 7:7).
In acknowledgement to my prayer, I was out for an evening walk when God spoke to me; I knew it was in response to my seeking. I am not sure if I was seeking for answers at that moment, but suddenly He answered as though I was. He said, “Okay meet me at this bench tomorrow morning at 6AM.” It wasn’t His usual way of talking to me; it was audible which mesmerized me. When God speaks audibly its seizing and amazing all at the same time.
The next morning I woke with a quickening as my eyes met the clock which read 5AM. I hurried to get ready for my appointment. Needless to say I was late, as I am late for everything. Any appointment I have with anyone I am just always late. When I got down to the boardwalk I frantically looked for the bench and couldn’t find it. Which bench did He say? I didn’t know! I felt awful that I didn’t even pay enough attention to which bench, and then I heard God say, “Go back to your car, change your shoes, we’ll walk and talk.”
Taking His Direction Lightly
The first thing He said to me was, “I knew you would be here and I knew you would be late.” He continued to say, “If you can’t be on time for an appointment with Me now, how will you be ready upon My return?” Then He brought to my mind the five foolish virgins who missed the Bridegroom because they weren’t ready. At the last minute they tried to be ready but missed the Bridegroom when they went to go get oil for their vessels. Then I thought how that is so similar to me. When I have an appointment I am never ready because I try to do things I should have already done at the last minute.
From there He spoke to me about all the things He asked me to do for Him and I hadn’t. Some of those things I took lightly, some I intended to do, but just hadn’t gotten to yet, some things I just didn’t want to do, and some seemed too hard. God showed me I hadn’t given them presidency, as I hadn’t given my appointments with Him presidency.
He continued to teach me, He said the empty vessels indicated empty lives, Christians not doing the will of God, not doing all He has instructed them to do. He reiterated from the book of James what I already knew, if we do one law but not all of the law we have broken all the law. He also reminded me from James if we know what to do and don’t do it, we are deceived, thinking we are right with God but we’re not. We are instructed to be more than a hearer; we are instructed to be a doer.
He made it clear we won’t have an extended time period to do all He said to do at the last minute, but we will just be too late, and the door will be closed.
If you love Jesus, you can imagine how frantic I was not being able to find that bench that day. There were many benches on the boardwalk and they all looked the same. Thank God it was a warning, and I still have time to take heed.
Imagine how frantic you might be when you hear the shout, “The Bridegroom is Coming!” if you have put off what God called you to do. Imagine trying to do your lifelong assignment at the last minute. Imagine running back to the door frantically once you think you got it done and then see Jesus and hear Him say “I didn’t know you, I am not acquainted with you.” and He closes the door.
The things God is asking us to do are life long assignments we can’t do at the last minute. God is asking us to side with Him now, to be like Him and to represent Him now. He is asking that we be an attraction for Him by living well in His Kingdom, living in heaven on the earth right here and now. God is asking that we do His work utilizing the gift He put on the inside of each and every one of us. He is asking us to be apart of His quest to save all from eternal punishment.
When we don’t have full vessels we live opposed to God. Empty vessels are Christians living on the wide path, misrepresenting God. Living with empty vessels is living on the wide path in agreement with the enemy, not the Father. That is why Jesus will say He wasn’t acquainted with you if you lived on the wide path, because you weren’t on the narrow path with Him being like Him, showing the Father in how you lived your life.
Yes the narrow path is the harder of the two, but it leads to eternal life. It may have some discomfort now, but none compared to the discomfort eternal damnation will have.
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and ACTIVE], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.
The Ten Virgins - Matthew 25:1-13