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Some of us might take the straight road, some might go the scenic route, and some may take a few detours and put on extra mileage. That is all I meant to say.

Matt. 7:13-14 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.

The bible doesn't mention scenic routes, or detours, it says strait, and I believe He meant strait. IMO:) Just as God told the guy in Numbers not to pick up sticks on the Sabbath, or for that matter when he told Eve not to eat of the fruit on the tree. We always want to take the bible and say "God didn't really mean that, he meant this. He meant you could go the scenic route or take a detour, that's OK." But God has proven numerous times, He says what he means, and he means what he says.

Becky

Becky, since we are old friends, and I speak horse fluently and also pig Latin,Lol, I think I can explain what Old Reggie means by scenic view.

You are taking the word “straight” much to literally, if you take a map of the journeys of Paul, and look at the cities he traveled to, and still he said we set a straight course to such and such, you will see that it would be impossible to draw a straight line from any one city to the next, they had to sail around one land mass to get to the next, and sometimes there were islands in the way, and they had to sail around them, but still Paul considered it a straight course because if he had set his goal on Troas, and he was heading there from Antioch, even though they had to sail in almost a half circle pattern, it was still going straight to Troas.

We can head on a straight course or path to God’s kingdom. But that doesn’t mean the path doesn’t have many bends and hills and valleys and bridges and many little pull offs that make it a scenic trip.

If I was leaving Florida and heading north for Ohio, I would take a straight course or highways going there, but if I stopped along the way in Atlanta Georgia or Chattanooga Tenn. they are still on the straight course to Ohio, but it would also be a scenic trip.

I can’t believe that God meant for us to point ourselves in one direction and as a horse with blinders on, look neither right or left or up or down, but as long as we are headed in the direction of our goal, it is a straight path, and the only way it wouldn’t be, is if we turned and headed in an opposite direction which could not get us there.

I’m sure that’s what Old Reggie meant when he said the scenic view, taking in all the interesting and spiritual things along the way but never loosing site of his goal.(^g^) PS, a straight path to a place can have many bends in it.

The bible doesn't mention scenic routes, or detours, it says strait, and I believe He meant strait. IMO:) Just as God told the guy in Numbers not to pick up sticks on the Sabbath, or for that matter when he told Eve not to eat of the fruit on the tree. We always want to take the bible and say "God didn't really mean that, he meant this. He meant you could go the scenic route or take a detour, that's OK." But God has proven numerous times, He says what he means, and he means what he says.

Becky:

Some of us may wander in circles for a long time before we find that straight and narrow way. It makes no difference if that "straight" path was the last inch of the journey. Does it?

I admire both your and Big Mack's sincerity. I seem to recall both of you telling of how you wandered before you finally found the "straight and narrow" gate.

Of course, our life path would be clearer and simpler if we found the "straight and narrow" early on. That is not the way it is however.
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Galations 1:

11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man's gospel.

12 For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it;

14 and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace,
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Paul found Jesus - Jesus found Paul. The journey wasn't always straight. There is hope for us all.