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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion January 17, 2005 The Road Less Traveled |
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Frontline Devotion for Monday, January 17, 2005 by Fritz
Foltz
Matthew
7: 13,14
One of my favorite poems has always been Robert Frost’s “The Road not
Taken”. Many times throughout my life I find myself reciting parts of it, not
for my enjoyment but rather as a marker at a time of decision. I suppose many of
you know the words. They go like this:
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference
Jesus says becoming a Christian involves much the same choosing of a road less traveled. He differs from Frost when he pictures the choice as more difficult. Frost almost seems to choose his road casually, only to find that it draws him on and on with little hope of ever turning back. Jesus speaks of being confronted with a choice between obviously easy and hard roads. He warns we find life when we enter the narrow gate and travel the hard road. To do so means we must resist the temptation to enter the wide gate and proceed down an easy road. He warns that leads to destruction.
Sometimes we make too much of this, leading people to think our way is always difficult. Surely in our day, it is far easier because of all the Christians who have worn the roadbed for us. Yet is it still valuable to remember that following Christ can be difficult. Too many times when faced with the needs of a neighbor or even our own personal discipline, we take the easy way out. Those are the times we should recite Matthew’s verses.
Let us pray: Grant us courage, Father, to follow Jesus through the narrow gate. Give us the wisdom to see that responding to the needs of others enables us to find ourselves. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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