When I was a full-time news reporter for a local newspaper, one of my responsibilities was to listen to the scanner and rush off to emergency scenes as soon as possible to provide spot news coverage. It was necessary to listen closely to the information being discussed by the emergency responders over the radio airwaves. One of the most important pieces of information to gather was the location, so I knew where to go!
One day as news of a house fire screeched through the newsroom scanner, I thought I heard the name of one town, when it was actually another. They both started with the same letter, but they were in entirely different directions! I got halfway to the town I thought I needed to go when I was informed of my error and had to turn around. Needless to say, the “spot news” was delayed that day, and rather than getting pictures of a blazing fire, my photos were only of a few remaining plumes of smoke and of a couple of lingering firefighters clearing debris.
For a time, my colleagues jokingly nicknamed me “Wrong Way”. And I learned the important lesson of making sure I got all the facts right before setting out on my reporting escapades!
Much more important is knowing what direction we are going in life, to ensure that our desired eternal destination of Heaven is reached – and that we don’t run out of time to get ourselves on the right path.
This journey, however, can’t be mapped, or traversed, without some help. There is no way you could ever get to the destination on your own. In fact, you can’t even get on the road!
That’s because God is perfectly holy, and none of us can approach Him in Heaven.
He “alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:16).
“You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20).
“Who may stand in his holy place? (Psalm 24:3).
Here’s who:
… “The one who has clean hands and a pure heart…” (Psalm 24:4).
But how is it possible for us to become a clean and righteous person like that?
We certainly can’t make ourselves like that.
““There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
We are completely lost when it comes to finding our way to God. We are going in the entirely wrong direction.
But there is good news!
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
“Son of Man” is a title given to Jesus Christ, who was sent by God to earth, to take on human flesh and take the punishment that our sin deserved, to set us free from its power over us.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
He has shown us the right way to go. In fact, in the Bible Jesus Christ is called the “true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).
Jesus is also the way we can get to Heaven. It’s only through Him that we can be made pure and can stand in God’s holy presence.
In John 14, Jesus told His disciples that after His death, He was going to go and prepare a place for them, where they could live with Him forever. And then He said, “You know the way to the place where I am going” (John 14:4).
But Thomas, one of the disciples, was confused: ““Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5).
The answer was simple.
“ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).
Jesus was going to the Father, God, in Heaven, and if we are to get there too, we must put our faith and trust in Him for salvation. He is the one who bridged the gap between us and God, so that we can have eternal life.
So now you know where you want to go, and you know how to get there. Now is the time to get on the road and start your journey. It all begins with recognizing that you are born into sin and need a Savior, and then trusting in Jesus as the only One who can set you free from sin and death and lead you to Heaven.
He will never lead you the wrong way. He will always lead you the right way, because He IS the way!