“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” —Robert Frost
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” —Matthew 7:13-14
This past year, as a special Christmas treat, my mother took the entire family to our symphony hall to watch the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, accompanied by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. It was a marvelous, nostalgic event, reminding me of when I had first seen the movie on television as a wide-eyed, wonder-filled child. But seeing it again, this time on the big screen, caused the characters to loom larger and the colors to shine brighter. It was a breathtaking experience.
Of course, it was more breathtaking for Dorothy! She, her tiny dog Toto, and her familial farmhouse were whirled wildly away from Kansas in a terrifying tornado and unceremoniously deposited in a foreign land, so to speak. Until then, Dorothy had existed in a black-and-white world. But all that changed as soon as she opened her front door onto the magical Land of Oz. There she encountered kaleidoscopic colors and a cast of colorful characters, and . . . then . . . she set foot on the Yellow Brick Road. By following that narrow, spiraling path, she experienced the most amazing adventures, some scintillating, some sorrowful, but the road eventually led her full-circle to the happy home of her heart’s desire.
Like Dorothy, you are on a journey and you are on a road. But the question is: On what road are you traveling?—one leading to destruction or one leading to life? Would you allow me, please, to make a very rough analogy? Dorothy was told by Glinda the Good Witch to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where she would meet the all-wise Wizard of Oz. He would give her the answers she so desperately needed, and he would lead her home. If Dorothy strayed from the narrow, winding Yellow Brick Road, she would never find her heart’s desire.
God, our all-wise Creator, has provided for you and me the road home to His heart, but first we must direct our own hearts towards His by entering the gate. That gate is Jesus Christ, His perfect Son, who died to take the penalty for our sin. When, by faith, you acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son and Lord of your life, He will save you from your sins and set your foot on the narrow path that leads to life with God—a road that will one day finally lead you home to heaven.
The only way to begin your New Year right, is to set foot on the right road by entering through the right gate. Many people will not join you. Instead, they will follow the broad road that will lead to their destruction. They do not think that God is good or that Jesus is the only way to God. Yet God makes it clear in His Word that He is the only one, true God. He created you. He loves you. He will forgive you. And when you leave the black-and-white world of dearth and sin, He will give you a glorious, colorful, vibrant purpose.
You are standing at the threshold of a New Year and at the crossroads of a new life—real life in Jesus Christ. Will you choose the narrow road less traveled by? That will make all the difference both now and for all eternity. Happy New Year! Happy New Life!
Your invitation . . . Jesus said (in John 14:6), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” If you have never acknowledged your guilt before a holy God, please write a prayer of confession in your journal. Tell Him that you are a sinner. Confess your sins as specifically as you can. Ask God for His forgiveness. Tell Him that you believe that Jesus Christ is His Son and that He is Lord. Acknowledge that He died in your place to take the punishment for your sins. Receive Him and commit to obeying Him and to following Him on life’s road, wherever He may lead you. Draw a road in your journal that represents your life before coming to Christ, and now, after. Put a heart at the center of the road with a cross inside the heart, and date it. Let this be a visible, tangible reminder of the day that you offered your heart to God and became a Christ-follower. If you are already a Christian, journal a prayer of praise to Jesus for loving and saving you and for giving you new life! It’s an inspiring way to begin the New Year.
© Lynn D. Morrissey. Permission to reprint any or all of this material is required
Like you, I have always loved The Wizard of Oz. I looked forward to seeing it on TV every fall and now that I own it, I *still* enjoy watching it!
I’m currently trying to find a balance between being judgmental and trying to bring to light, the sins of some of my fellow sisters in Christ. How do you show them that what they are doing is trying to walk on both of the roads without being accused of being judgmental? I just pray the Lord will give me clarity to know how to handle the situation. You are definitely right on the ‘road less traveled’, the more I try to model myself after Jesus’ example, the more I am accused of things and it’s kinda lonely at times with no one to believe you or leave your past in the past. Great post, Lynni! Next time this ever happens, I’d LOVE to go with, I simply love The Wizard of Oz and would give just about anything to see it on the big screen!