Morning Devotional 082625 The Path Less Traveled

Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room

August 26, 2025

Psalm 118:19-24

19 Open the gates of righteousness for me so I can come in and give thanks to the LORD! 20 This is the LORD’s gate; those who are righteous enter through it. 21 I thank you because you answered me, because you were my saving help. 22 The stone rejected by the builders is now the main foundation stone! 23 This has happened because of the LORD; it is astounding in our sight! 24 This is the day the LORD acted; we will rejoice and celebrate in it!

Good Morning! Rejoice and celebrate this beautiful morning!

I have always been intrigued by gates, especially old ones. I notice how some gates seem to be designed to keep others out, while some gates are a welcoming entrance. When we lived near Colonial Williamsburg, I saw beautiful iron gates with some amazing fittings to open and close them. The intricate craftsmanship in each detail shows the work of a master artisan.

Imagine walking along the streets of an unknown town. You see gates that are shiny and new with a clean pathway that shows many have entered through these gates, and then you come upon a gate covered in ivy, and flowers are growing between the stones on the pathway. This gate looks as if it has been undisturbed for a while. 

Which gate would you be more inclined to enter, one of the shiny, new ones, or this less-used gate? We each must choose our pathway. To enter the gate covered with ivy may require a little more work; you have a garden to prune and tend, and there will be fewer people to aid you in your task. God blesses those who choose to travel the less-traveled pathway, for this road leads us to Christ and redemption. 

"Many will come, but few are chosen" is a quote from Jesus' Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22:14, meaning that while the call to salvation or a particular spiritual path is offered widely, only a select few will genuinely accept it and live in accordance with its conditions. The "many" refers to those who hear the call, or are invited, but do not respond appropriately, while the "few" are those who accept the invitation, respond with faith, and are truly transformed by it. 

Loving Lord, you bless us abundantly! You allow us to make our own choices. Thank you for sending Christ to lead us to the gate of salvation. Thank you. We love you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: Turn your eyes upon Jesus and choose a life worth living. 

And I, I chose the path less traveled by . . . and that has made all the difference! Pastor Liz