WHICH GATE WILL YOU CHOOSE?
By: Joan Murray
Tags: Christianity, Future, Destiny, Choices, Journey

Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV) — Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”

As intimate as we often believe our relationship is with God, there are times when this most important relationship actually does need a tune-up. Throughout our walk with God, we encounter challenges that test our devotion to Him. These challenges will cause some of us to deviate from His narrow path. Many times the change is so subtle that we do not realize we are not where we think we are in our walk. As a result, we may not be as committed, trustworthy, and faithful as we once were. A tune-up is necessary, because it allows us to stop and examine where we are in our walk of faith. As you take the time to examine your heart, you will unearth issues that may be lurking deep within you and keeping you from the level of devotion you desire with God.

We all have issues of the heart that need to be fixed. Two of our greatest issues are how tender our hearts are toward God and how deeply we love Him. If you will, conduct a self examination for me. When you think of Jesus, does your heart overflow with love for Him? Does it still melt at the mere thought of what He has done for you? Do you remember how you felt when He first saved and radically changed your life? Do you still feel that awe and adoration as when you first encountered Him? It is sad to say, but many of us have become so used to hearing about Him and seeing various movies about His sacrifice that we are no longer moved in our hearts at the mere mention of His name. Some of us have become very complacent in our relationship with God.

Adam and Eve also became complacent in their relationship with God. They took their daily face-to-face meetings with Him for granted. Because they did not carefully guard the intimate fellowship they had with Him, the enemy was able to come in and separate them from God. I venture to say that Adam and Eve did not fully realize what they were about to lose when they allowed the enemy to seduce them. Only after God evicted them from the garden did they realize the great price they had paid for their disobedience. They lost their intimate fellowship with their Creator. What a deep emptiness this must have left in their hearts.

The benefits of having a deep intimate relationship with God are numerous. When you and I decide to give all of our heart to Him, we will experience the fullness of life that He so desires to give us. If you feel that you already have a deep connection to God, I still challenge you to read this book and to ask yourself at the end of each chapter if there is room for growth and improvement. I believe that like me, you will come to see that a deeper intimacy is still needed in your relationship with God. Therefore, dive deeply into the pages of this book and discover some keys that will bring about greater closeness to your Creator. I then encourage you to go deeper in your intimacy with God so that your joy will be full to overflowing.