My way, or the High Way.....the Wayfarer 3/4/16

My way, or the High Way
 3/4/16

Isaiah 55:8-9 King James Version (KJV)

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Today’s title is in concert with this quote from Isaiah, the statement when normally made by men is not.

Too often, throughout life we either hear explicitly, or, more often, implicitly the statement, “ It’s my way or the highway.” This of course meaning that there is only one acceptable choice available to the one spoken to, brooking no argument, no negotiation, no room for any opinion other than that of the speaker.

Quite often, the way offered is untenable, and unacceptable to the hearer, particularly when the hearer finds subservience to the speaker unacceptable.

The speaker, a fallible human being can and will make rash decisions based on fallible information, unwilling to look at any alternative solution to a situation or particular “challenge” as I once was informed to call what I perceived to be a problem.

The speaker at that time, a superior, would not even entertain the possibility of a problem, could not perceive that perhaps a goal could not be reached without first reconciling factors that made it impossible to reach.

Too often, this is the attitude in general of mankind, unwilling to accept that their own solution is less than adequate, and cannot be made adequate simply by ignoring the possibility of a better solution, and a better outcome than what they think they desire.

The insistence of MY way is prevalent, even when that way is destructive and leads only to that destruction instead of what is perceived as a good solution.

The ways of man are always ways of destruction despite any intention to the contrary.

When it comes to guidance from God, too often mankind chooses the “highway” instead of the HIGH WAY!

Adam made that choice, and chose to take a highway of his own, and man has gone down that path ever since continuing his regrettable choice.

“Challenges” face every individual every day from the first breath taken, until the last that, must, eventually be taken by all.

It is how those “challenges” are met that determine the path that is travelled.

The initial ultimatum, given by God, was ignored… yet His love for us provided a means to return to the intended path, and purpose of His creation.

Guidance was given throughout the relatively short existence of this creature called man, and man, in general has ignored that guidance to pursue his own way.

Each new “discovery”, each new “invention”, each new philosophy, ideology, and social arrangement conceived by man takes him ever farther from  the intent of the Creator as that Creator’s WAY is ignored in favor of fallible concepts formed by fallible men never intended by that infallible Creator.

Often I have quoted Solomon’s statement, and the subsequent paraphrasing that man learns nothing from history, except that man learns nothing from history.

The statement made by Solomon, however, reiterates that God’s will, His plan, supersedes, and will not be stymied nor even delayed by this puny and paltry race of creatures to which I belong.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

God requires that His WAY be followed, and it shall, despite any machinations or attempts at avoidance that man may come up with.

The ultimatum given from the beginning remains in place.

Man has indeed learned nothing from his own history, and attempts to change his purpose, nor does he often remember the ultimatum given and repeated throughout the scriptures given to us that provide the true knowledge needed to return to the HIGH WAY instead of the detour to a dead end taken on the highway he has travelled.

Genesis 6:1-3 King James Version (KJV)

6 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

² That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

³ And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Even the shortening of this, also relatively short time span, has not dampened man’s stubborn refusal to relinquish his own ways and return to the intended Way.

That WAY was made easier to find, the TRUTH of that WAY was shown, and LIFE remains promised within that WAY.

Yet man continues his search along his own way leading farther and farther from his intended destination and destiny, changing that destination and destiny to one intended only for those refusing to follow that initial ultimatum, one given by another rebellious creature that substituted and substitutes his lie for the TRUTH.

John 3:17-21 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The WAY given remains, the TRUTH given us remains, the LIFE promised is still promised, but may be attained only through the WAY that has been given.

John 14:1-7 King James Version (KJV)

14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

That 6^th verse is both concise and clear, there is only ONE  WAY, ONE TRUTH , that provides that LIFE that is in fact the intended eternal life, rejected by attempting to follow any other way that may be offered in its place.

As we continue to hurtle ever closer to the culmination of that plan that was initiated IN THE BEGINNING, it is essential that those reachable be reached, those teachable be taught, that the true choice offered FROM THE BEGINNING be proferred to each one willing to accept the ultimatum given by God that provides the only solution to the “challenges” created, not by Him, but by our own refusal to accept that ultimatum.

Jesus made that acceptance easy. His birth, life, sacrificial death, and resurrection and ascension made and make that WAY available to all.

Availability guarantees that WAY only through the required acceptance of that Way.

Again I would state that choice is, in fact, individual, has been from our very creation an intended integral part of the make up of our inherent being that is also a requirement instilled in us by our Creator.

Once more I state without trepidation or equivocation:

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

I also remind each that that WAY comes only by virtue of the undying love and total grace given by our creator only through the required faith as stated so well by Paul:

Ephesians 2:8-10 King James Version (KJV)

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

It is that grace, and that promise, that WAY on which I rely, my choice having been made, not on MY way but instead in the HIGH WAY that has been provided.

I pray that all see the choice that is available, and that they choose wisely instead of rashly, petulantly, and most assuredly wrongly, if choosing any way offered by man instead of choosing that offered by my Savior, Christ Jesus.

“Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Amen and amen
the Wayfarer