"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13-14
Read Revelations 21:1-8; Isaiah 66:17-66:2.
When I lived in British Columbia, Canada my favorite escape was to the mountains surrounding the Lower Mainland, particularly the Golden Ears.
In Golden Ears Park two falls, The Upper Falls, and The Lower Falls, became my favorite destination. A broad, well maintained path led to the Lower Falls, a nice relaxing hike. However, the real treasure existed beyond this path, up a narrow, rocky, crooked trail to the Upper Falls.
When you step from the woods onto the rocks overlooking the Upper Falls such beauty surrounds you that not even the most skilled painter could capture it. A mountain river runs through a broad valley encircled by majestic mountains: a picture of Heaven. The trek up the slippery and steep trail is worth the effort for the beauty you behold.
This place, at the top of the Upper Falls, became my resting place.
Do you see the parallels of the Christian life? Every person sets out on a journey. Many people travel along the same road, but only a few choose to take the narrow path that leads to Heaven. There are plenty of wonderful sights to see on the broad road. You won't get lonely, because there are many to keep you company. But if you stay on that road, you will not be able to see the majesty of Heaven.
To take the path off the main trail requires effort. You'll likely stumble along the way. You might get scraped. You'll probably sweat. You might be poked and scratched by tree branches. You might even fall into poison ivy. But when you arrive, and you burst forth from this world into the next, you will find the hurt is gone for the beauty and find your resting place waiting for you.
The Christian meets up with dangers on his journey. He'll tire at times. He'll fall at times. He'll wonder if it is all worth it. But when his journey ends, and he crosses the river into Celestial Place, he'll find his effort rewarded beyond what his mind could have imagined.
