The Hard Line

                   Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. 

                                                                                                                Proverbs 21:21

                       You know how our world works all too well. The thing that is most important is what feels good and people seem to base their judgment on that logic as well. As Christians, we know that way of thinking is foolish and even dangerous.

                       The straight and narrow 

                "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it."

                                                        Matthew 7:13

                     The path leading to Jesus is very hard. Believers and non-believers can see it's a difficult one. What used to look good and feel good when you were in your old life can at times be hard to separate from. Thankfully, God's grace lightens the load considerably. 

                    Let's take a look at many men and woman who have chosen to walk the hard line with God...

                   Ruth- She chose to walk the hard line after her husband died and her mother-in-law's husband and two sons died. Ruth could have went back to her homeland but she chose to go with Ruth and follow her God. (You can find her story in the book of Ruth)

                  Noah- was blameless among his people in his time and walked with God. God gave Noah a command to build an ark and save all the animals and his family. Noah chose to walk the hard line of trusting that God would save them from something he never saw before and empower him to build a huge boat that had never made before! (Genesis 6:1-22)

                  Esther- She was taken from her home and forced to go through all these beauty treatments. She was probably afraid to live in the palace among royalty. But, she chose to walk the hard line when her cousin Mordecai told her about her people's jeopardy. She was ready to face death to save her people. ( You can find the story in the book of Esther)

                 Daniel- He was taken from his home, his family, his people!! He could eat all the fine food he wanted because he was being trained to serve the King! But Daniel chose the hard line ( along with three of his friends) to follow God's commands of what and what not to eat. He still wanted to follow his God! (Daniel 1:1-17)

                 All these stories of people found in the Bible, both young and old, did not want to walk in the ways of the world. They wanted to walk in the ways of God. They trusted in what He said. They knew that his standards and commands were there to protect them. And even some of these people trusted in the person that trusted God. They saw that their judgment was sound and logical, like Rahab the prostitute. Even though it could have meant her death, she helped two Israelite spies who came to scope out her city!  She could have ratted them out. But she didn't. How hard must it have been to stay in her house as the city was being destroyed by a God she wanted to know. 

              It goes for us too. We have that choice to walk the hard line. To follow God or to follow what we want to do. But tell me this; which is the path that is worth it in the end?