All Roads?

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled All Roads, was written by Dave Brannon. Don't get on the expressway.

That text came from my daughter one day as I was leaving work. The highway home had become a virtual parking lot. I began trying alternate routes, but after experiencing gridlock on other roads, I gave up.

The trip home would have to wait till later in the day, so I drove in the opposite direction to an athletic event my granddaughter was involved in. Discovering that no roads would lead me home made me think about people who say that all roads lead to an eternal relationship with God. Some believe the road of kindness and good behavior will get you there. Others choose the road of doing religious things.

Relying on those roads, however, leads to a dead end. There's only one road to take to God's eternal presence. Jesus clarified this when He said in John 14, 6, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

He was revealing that He was going to die to open the way for us to enter His Father's house, to His presence and the real life He provides for today and eternity. Skip the blocked highways that don't lead to God's presence. Instead, trust Jesus' Savior, for whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, and for those who already believe in Him, rest in the way He's provided. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from John 14, verses 1 through 7.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know My Father as well.

From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for opening our eyes to the truth of Your grace and mercy that was poured out on us as Christ bore the consequences of sin on our behalf. As we go about our day, we pray that others would be drawn to You as they see how different our life is with You in it and as we speak about Your grace and forgiveness to them. Give us courage to speak boldly about You and point others to You. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.