The Hard Road of Redemption

Imagine being told you have two roads ahead of you—one wide and easy, filled with quick rewards and comfort, and the other narrow, difficult, even painful, but promised to end in life. Which would you choose?

This isn’t just a hypothetical question—it’s the same choice God placed before His people in Jeremiah 21:8–9, when He said, “See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.” It’s the same choice Jesus presents in Matthew 7:13–14 when He speaks of the narrow road leading to life and the broad road leading to destruction.

But here’s the tension: God’s way often doesn’t look like the way of life in the moment. For the exiles in Babylon, it meant 70 years of waiting and surrender. For the disciples of Jesus, it means denying self and carrying a cross. For us, it often means enduring seasons we don’t understand, where God’s justice, timing, and purpose stretch our faith.

So why does this matter for you and me as disciples today? Because the question remains the same:

Will I trust God’s plan—even when it feels like exile, even when the road is narrow—or will I lean on my own understanding and miss the life He promises?