On That Highway!

“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.” (Isaiah 35:8 NIV)

When we picture or think about the word, “highway” we have a different perception of highway than Isaiah did when he was speaking to the Children of Israel–encouraging them to live for The Lord in obedience to Him.

Artists have written songs about the highway to heaven and what is going to be found there–probably based upon this scripture–if the entire chapter is read.

“No more crying, no more hunger, no more blind, no more deaf, no more lame, there will be peace–since no more wars will be possible.”

Highways–as we see them now–are links or connections to faraway places or at least a short-cut to get across the city (our freeways). What we see on those highways are speeding vehicles on infinite slabs of concrete with bridges overhead and cities underneath them and occasionally emergency vehicles summoned to handle an accident which leaves debris and becomes hazardous for other drivers. Sometimes–our highways are the paths to destruction and they are certainly a cesspool of inconsiderate drivers who think they own the freeway.

However, going back to those times of old, Isaiah painted a vivid picture of a highway--not connecting us to another place here on earth, but the path to heaven and all we could expect there. In addition to telling us what would not be there and what would, he tells us that the wicked fools won’t be there, nor will those who are not saved–the unclean.

How do we know for sure? The only way we get into heaven is through the blood of Jesus Christ. “What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus!” We are cleansed through the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross at Calvary! He died so we might live a sin-free life and left us here so we could encourage others to seek Him, accept Him, and be cleansed and made whole! What love He has for us!

Now, we have a decision to make and we must make it quickly. Time is winding down for the enemy to maintain a hold on people for he will surely be banished to the lake of fire and he is determined to take as many people as he can with him. We–who know how he operates, must be as diligent as he is to encourage others to connect with Jesus Christ so they will be spared and can walk on that highway, reserved for those who have been cleansed.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we come to You and thank You for loving us enough to prepare a place for us for all eternity. We thank You for giving us the boldness, courage and determination needed to encourage others to want to walk The Way of Holiness rather than the way of sin. We thank You for allowing us chance after chance to get living right with You and we give You all the praise and glory for it for You are the only One worthy of our praise! Amen!

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Highway of Holiness

“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” (Isaiah 35:8 NIV).

The prophet Isaiah, in encouraging the Children of Israel, reminded them that soon there will be a change in their circumstances when The Lord comes. The question that arises is whether or not this prophecy was intended for the First Coming and the literal descendants of Abraham or the Second Coming and for the Spiritual seed of Abraham. Since the First Coming is behind us, we can look forward to the Second Coming of the Lord.

Jesus, “I  go to prepare a place for you and I will come again to take you to be where I am.” (through John). From this statement, we can see how what Isaiah said, would pertain to the Second Coming. On the Highway of Holiness, can anything or anyone unclean travel upon it? The wicked fools won’t be able to find it because they have rejected Him and His teaching. Who then will be able to walk upon the Highway of Holiness?

The answer is very simply this: Those who have been in right relationship with Him, shall travel with Him upon the Highway He established and prepared for those who love Him and obey.

What is interesting to me about this segment of scripture is that it reminds me of those who purport to “understand Jesus’ teachings about love” but they never get any further. All they want to do is to live life any way they want to live it and then justify it by saying, “just teach what Jesus said about love.” They do not realize He said and taught so much more. His appearance did not negate what The Father had already said. In fact, His appearance and living among us proved that mankind could live according to God’s Word without giving into sin. We choose to sin every time we do anything that is in opposition to God’s Word. Jesus proved we could live a sinless life, if we chose to do so. It is a matter of choice.

Today, the choice is still before us. Will we all get a chance to walk on the Highway of Holiness? Our lifestyles–promoting holiness and obedience to God–will determine which highway we will travel on that great day–the day that Christ returns. Choose this day, which highway you will travel at the end our journey on earth!

The Path of Life!

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11 NIV)

If we know there is a path that leads to life, there must be a path that leads to death. When we are at a crossroad in our lives–standing at the intersection–trying to determine which way to go–God makes it known to us which path we should take–if we hear Him. Sometimes, because of our haste to get where we “want to be” we take the wrong path and miss the joy that was waiting for us on the path where God wanted us to be.

There is a way that “seems” right to man, but the end thereof is death. The paths we take don’t always lead to a “physical death” but they do manage to kill the soul, deprive us of joy, and deter our spirits with sadness. Those roads we choose when we allow the flesh to dictate our every move instead of waiting and listening to hear God. Most of us have made wrong turns and it took us a while to find our way back to the path were God wanted us to be–where we now know joy, peace, and love.

Was there any joy on the path of destruction we took when we did not know better?

Was there peace on the paths of confusion and chaos that we followed when we thought people were more important to us than God?

Did we ever find true love–unconditional love–along the way we chose, looking for love in all the wrong places?

Thank God for Jesus! Because of His love for us, we are now on the right path--the path of life–understanding and experiencing the abundant life that we are promised when we follow Jesus. The joy of The Lord is our strength and we know on this path, we are never alone and when we get tired or weary, He is always there–the pillar on which we can lean, without fear of it crumbling. We have access to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding–on the path of life. No matter what is going on around us, no matter how much chaos or confusion ensues from those who are influenced by the enemy, we can know and have peace in our spirits and joy overflowing.

Make sure you are on the right path–the path of life–so you can experience the joy and love of God and share it with others.

Lord Jesus, thank You for speaking to our hearts and turning us around from the paths of destruction on which we once travelled. Thank You for loving us enough to make a way for us to have access to heaven and eternal life.