The Way

John 14:6

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

It can’t be much clearer than that! We all need to set our sights on Jesus to listen to and apply all He had to say. 

This world is filled with noise in every available electronic form and beyond. It is necessary to tune it out and focus on the truth. The truth that is found through Jesus! 

Don’t be distracted by the misinformation and dysinformation that we can easily be bombarded with. Open up that Bible and turn to the Gospels to find out what Jesus has to say. 

He will tell you that his kingdom is not of this world, and ours shouldn’t be either. We all know that this world is filled with temptations and distractions. Set it aside. Walk the walk with Jesus and take action to spend your limited time on this planet to clearly demonstrate your love for Jesus and your neighbor. 

Is it a neighbor across the street, across the country, or halfway around the world? This is a relatively small place compared to the total of God’s creation. So hurry up, as the book of Mark tells us 42 times, and get busy in your own way. 

Why this sense of urgency? I can tell you of the influential people in my childhood, seeming towers of strength. They squandered their time here, one through mockery and disbelief, the other essentially through blasphemy and becoming snared by the lust for worldly things. 

They have passed on. They have faced judgment. Fortunately for me, I was able to see beyond their views through the cumulative efforts of many others who walked and walked the Christian life. They are in the form of pastors, Sunday School teachers, co-workers, friends, and Sunday School classmates, to name a few.

Focus on the truth that Jesus represents! There are way too many people on this planet that will lead you astray. Pray that the Holy Spirit be with you to guide you to show you the way. I can testify, as I stated previously, that as a child, I prayed to God to send someone to show me the way. It was one of the most consequential prayers of my life! It certainly was answered with not just one person, but many that did just that. 

Jesus tells us that He is the key to eternal life. One day, we all will stand in judgment, and He will turn to God the Father and say, “Yes, I know this person. This person acted on my behalf and demonstrated their love of God with all their mind, all their heart, and all their strength while loving their neighbor as thyself!” That is what we all should strive to hear. 

Let us pray:

God in Heaven, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, as your messenger to teach us! Give us the fortitude to live our lives and take action to honor Him. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Sam Barto.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life. 

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org. 

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.