Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14. FEW there are who find it. I think if you are desirous of life and not destruction you will want to be one of those few. I tell you to ask and you shall receive. So ask Me to show you what is the strait and narrow way that so few have found but is the key to life itself and I will be happy to tell you. In fact, I tell you over and over and over in My Word, but there are still few that find it. Be one of those few if you want to have a victorious life.
Now I will give you the answer. The narrow way is the way of praise and thanksgiving. It is the way of the worshipper. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give constant thanks, this is My Will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19.
I think you will have to admit that most people do not do much praising and thanksgiving during their days on earth. They primarily worry, get stressed out, grumble, complain, gossip, tell people about their troubles, get angry with others and fight with them or tell them off, scold family members, have anxiety, decide they are depressed, and air their grievances constantly. This may describe many of your days and your life at work or school. This is the wide way that leads to destruction, and most people are on it. Just watch the news and talk shows. Just pick up the newspaper and magazines. And when you operate in that mode you usually have no self-control, at times at least, in areas such as eating and drinking and a host of other addictions and lustful behaviors.
I set it out for you in many places in My Word how to walk in the narrow way that leads to life abundant so you really have no excuse for ignorance in this matter. A cheerful heart does good like a medicine and praise is becoming to the upright. I tell you in Psalm 92 it is good to give thanks and sing praises to My Name, in fact, that plants you firmly in My courts and makes you fruitful and young even in old age! Just read Psalm 92. And the one who gives thanksgiving as his or her offering honors Me and is in turn blessed and honored. But first let us go to the Highway of Holiness that I revealed to My prophet Isaiah for your edification and instruction.
“A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks the way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful singing and shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Isaiah 35:8-11.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is your good Shepherd who laid down His life for you so that you can have His abundant life. He shared His Words and joy with you so that your joy would be full. The Highway of Holiness is for those who have accepted My Son as Lord and have been made righteous by His own righteousness and have been redeemed by His Blood. I have sealed you in Him by the Holy Spirit when you believed in the Gospel of Salvation and you have been cleansed by His Blood, redeemed by His Blood, all your debts to divine justice paid by His Blood.
But did you notice how the redeemed are staying on that Highway of Holiness where the devil and his demons cannot enter and be found there? By joyful singing and shouting as they head home to Zion, My dwelling place, the place of grace—the heavenly city. For you are no longer on Mt. Sinai, the mountain of the Law, “but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22-24. I have rescued you from the dominion of darkness and translated you to the Kingdom of My Beloved Son, in whom you have redemption by His Blood, the forgiveness and full payment of your sins.
Faith, hope, and love are eternal. Faith causes you to rejoice always because faith in My promises guarantees you a good result. There is all joy and peace in believing. Impossible things become possible when you believe in My Word as final authority for every situation, no matter how overwhelming it seems. Hope keeps you always praying and praising for the good that is coming your way by faith, for faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. And love keeps you always grateful and filled with thanksgiving. The one who is forgiven much, loves much, and love makes you grateful to the one who loves you so as to give His life up that you might live. Love makes life a continual feast, for My banner over you is love in the banquet hall of My Word.
In Paul’s letters My Spirit tells you to rejoice in Me always, have no anxiety about anything, but in everything to cast your care upon Me in prayer with thanksgiving. So there you are again with the same instructions for victory and a joyful life: rejoice in Me (My promises, My love that manifests in the gift of My Son to take away all your faults, sins, failures, ills, pains, and all that would keep you from fellowship with Me), pray at all times, and be thankful. Stay alert in prayer with thanksgiving.
The path of praise and thanksgiving is the narrow way that leads to life, that leads you to Zion to dwell in My house forever. Hardly anyone is on it or finds it as a constant lifestyle. David found it and it is the key of David. Jesus now holds that key and when He opens the door to life no one can shut it.
Just look at how David used that key when he had sinned with Bathsheba. He did not run from Me in fear and shame. He knew My love and that no matter what he said he knew that I was his savior and that I was for him and he could trust Me to cleanse him and lead him out of the mess he was in. He knew I was merciful and gracious. He simply praised Me as he sang: “Delver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my Salvation. My tongue joyfully sings of Your Righteousness. O LORD open my lips that my mouth may declare your praise!” Psalm 51:14-15. And in Psalm 18, he sang, “Praising Him I will call upon the LORD so from my enemies I shall be saved.” Psalm 18:3.
Many people have thought the narrow and strait way means the way of heavy burdens, tears and sorrow, but that is the wide way of destruction. But My yoke is easy and My burden light. With joy your will draw water from the springs of salvation. Those who sow in tears can only reap if they do so with joy. David sang, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” Psalm 30:11-12.
And that is the narrow way. That is taking up your cross and following Me. In the middle of a trial, indeed, at your darkest hour, it will take a great deal of self-denial to rejoice and sing as you face death to self-glorification and to the satisfying of your emotions by speaking in damaging and hurtful ways to and about others. It is a much easier path to be depressed and give up in self pity and blame than to stand up strong in Me and the power of My might and sing out the victory. But when you do I surround you with songs of deliverance and lead you out with rejoicing, laden with silver and gold and not a feeble one among you.
Did you ever read the book of My prophet Habakkuk? I think you will understand now that he is on the narrow way to life and victory when he writes his song for you and this is how it ends: “Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord LORD (Adonai YHWH) is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19. And what is the last line? For the choir director, on my stringed instruments. And it will always bring an awesome result. I am the God of wonders.
Praise your way to life. That is the narrow way. Why don’t you ask Me to help you with this? I will give you beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. Isaiah 61:3. Put on the garment of praise and sing. You will be surprised at the results you will see as the glory manifests shining on you. “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you.” Isaiah 60:1-2. Nor will there be any devastation or destruction within your borders for you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. Isaiah 61:18.
I love you, enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Praise your way out of your problem and that is the narrow way.