And a highway will be there;  it will be called the Way of Holiness;  it will be for those who walk on that Way.  The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.  No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there.  But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return.  They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.  Isaiah 35:8-10  NIV

Yesterday we spoke about confusion, chaos, and fear.  These are all very powerful tools that the devil uses to distract us from doing what God has called us to do.  This, in turn, can cause us to lose the peace and joy that God intends for us  to have.

You see what we must understand is that we are God’s children.  God loves us and wants to give us good things (Matthew 7:9).  He wants us to have lives that are filled with peace and joy.  But the path that we take is our choosing.

We can choose to take the wide road that leads to destruction or we can choose to take the narrow road that leads to eternal life.

In today’s scripture passage Isaiah is speaking of a highway called the Way of Holiness.  This is a restricted highway only for those that have been redeemed by the Lord.  This is a highway which will only be used by those that have drawn close to God, confessed their sins and asked the Lord’s forgiveness.  The beautiful thing about this highway is that we are told that the unclean and the wicked fools won’t walk on it and there will be no lions or ravenous beasts.  Have you ever stepped into the world and felt as though you were in a jungle filled with lions, tigers, and bears?  Let’s face it, we can do very well in our own little world, right?  But once we encounter people, the trouble starts.  Why is that?  Well, you see it as early as toddlers in daycare.  They fight over toys, they fight over getting their way.  Sound familiar?  Sometimes we do the same thing.  Sometimes we are like toddlers in the day care.  We are told in James 4:1 that fights and quarrels are caused by the desires that battle within us.

But perhaps you are the one who is being trampled by the lion and you are just trying to get through your day.  Have you ever gone out into the world and thought about how nice it would be if everyone in the world was Christians?  If that were the case, it would be like living in heaven on earth.  What if everyone was patient, loving, and kind?  Wouldn’t that be nice?  What if all those Sunday church going people behaved in society as they did while at church?  Well for some that would be bad, but you know what I’m saying, right?

Each day that we awaken is another day and another opportunity that God is giving us to get it right.  Praise God, He is steadfast and faithful.  He never lets us down and His mercies never cease.  As we greet each new day, we greet God’s new mercies.  We are given at least one more chance to get it right.

So the question for you, my friend, is what will you do with this brand new opportunity that you have been given today.  Will you continue in your sin and allow it to separate you from God and make you miserable or will you take the Way of Holiness?

In order to take the Way of Holiness, you need to draw near to God, confess your sins to Him, and ask for His forgiveness.  It is also a great idea to ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit.  This helps us be a good representative of Him when we are out and about in the public eye.

Our former pastor was Brother L. C. Lord.  He said many times that he hoped to preach until God called him home.  He did just that.  He did a wonderful sermon on a Wednesday night and became horribly ill the next morning.  He was rushed to the hospital and passed away the following Friday which was October 28, 2016.  I still remember the sermon he did that Wednesday night.  It was on grouchy Christians.  I wish I had taken notes because it was an awesome sermon.  But basically he explained that as Christians, we will face many trials.  How we face them makes all the difference in the world.  What we show the world as we are going through these trials is very important.  The devil loves to destroy our witness.  What I remember most about Brother Lord is the comfort he brought to the lives of those he met.  He was seldom rattled and he almost always had a smile on his face.

So today let me say this.  You can fly off the handle at every little thing that goes wrong.  You can get angry at every person that gets in your way or causes some type of delay to your busy day.  You have free will and you are free to do these things.  When you do this, you cause the devil to jump for joy.  Or you can anger the devil by being loving, patient, and kind.  You can exhibit the love, peace, and joy that a child of God has.  You can be happy even in trying circumstances because after all, this is just temporary (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).  This is not our permanent home.

So today, what will it be?  You can worry and get angry and have a miserable day.  Or, you can draw close to God, trust Him, and choose to accept the peace, love and joy that He has to offer.  You can choose to be unshaken by the world we live in (Psalm 62:6).  It’s your choice, choose wisely!

Have a great day!