Two Highways

March 30

(Psalm 36 NIV) “An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. {2} For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. {3} The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. {4} Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong. {5} Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. {6} Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. {7} How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. {8} They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. {9} For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. {10} Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. {11} May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. {12} See how the evildoers lie fallen-- thrown down, not able to rise!”

(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. {14} But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Many times in life, our problem is not a lack of opportunity, but of having more than one opportunity and choosing wrongly. We come to that proverbial fork in the road and we go the wrong direction. The roads diverge and we take what looks like the easy road -- but it soon turns into a crooked road -- and then into a dark path -- and before you know it we end up in the ditch, mugged by our own life choices. In Matthew 7, Jesus spoke of a narrow road that leads to life. The poet Robert Frost called it “The Road Less Traveled”. Jesus also spoke of a second way; a way that is wide, but which leads to destruction. Psalm 36 is a testament to these two ways and where they end up. It’s a tale of two highways. In the next few days, we will look down both highways and hopefully gain enough wisdom to get onto the right one and stay on it for the rest of our lives. Choose your road wisely. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day