A Morning Page: Unfolding the Strait and Narrow

Art by Andrea

 

A Morning Page:

Unfolding the Strait and Narrow

Andrea L. Sims Ph.D.

A look at "Morning Pages"

Some of you may be wondering what exactly is “A Morning Page”. I came across the term while researching ways to get out of me and onto paper what is swirling around inside. When a key word or recurring thought just won’t go away, it’s my way of exploring further—selah-ing—if you know what I mean: selah: pause and calmly think on this. When this happens to me, I take it as from Yah and I begin. I’m a scribe-type, so I make a note in my journal and leave enough room around that initial note so that I can go back and fill in what is to come. Because one thing leads to another with me. 

A Look at “Unfolding”

That’s where “unfolding” comes in. “The entrance of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). This understanding that Yah’s word brings can be understood as unfolding, or as Brown-Driver-Briggs shows us, Yah’s words are a doorway in the Hebrew mindset. Strong’s H6605 tells us that unfolded can be seen as being opened wide (literally or figuratively), to be loosened, to be ungirded. I have declared before Yah for years that “I open my heart wide to you: nothing hidden, nothing secret, nothing held back”. So, when I began to consider blogging, the word “unfold” was just there, and I knew I needed to take note of it. To understand further what “unfolding” means, we can look at its antonym: folded. “. . . folded together as thorns” (Nahum 1:10). Strong’s H3588 gives the word “tangled” when defining it, like thorns (Strong’s H5518) or stubble (Strong’s H7179) and dry (Strong’s H 3002). 

Without understanding from Yah's Word, we are snared in a tangled mess.

I am thankful that Yah’s word opens the door for us—"We are like a bird escaped from the snare of the fowler; the snare is broken, and we are escaped” (Psalm 124:7).

Art by Andrea

A Look at Choices

Once we “are escaped”—freed to seek understanding—we then have some choices to make. Choosing is one of the three great powers Yah gave us: the power to think (our mind), to feel (our emotions), and to choose (our will).  Through the Prophet, Jeremiah, Yah gives us a directive: “Thus says Yahuah, ‘Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the ancient paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16). As our Creator, Yah is telling us how to find what we all want and need. The metaphor comes to mind of the manufactures’ instructions for best use  that accompany many appliances: Use it the way it was intended if you want it to work well and last longer! That makes sense to me. He created us and knows what we need. 

Reader, you are following me along as “one thing leads to another”. I hope I don’t lose you along the way! (No pun intended!)

A Look at the Ancient Path

So, at this point, we have to ask: What is the ancient path? Actually, it says, paths, so we must first define “path” and then describe it to discover the many aspects of it. 

The word “way” in Hebrew is derek (Strong’s H1870) and literally means a road, but figuratively it means a course of life, actions, and behavior of men. It stems from H1969 and means to walk. It is similar to the word “path” (Strong’s 5410) which means a beaten track, a pathway, to travel. 

This has led us to the point I want to make. Yah has instructions for our best life. His instructions are called his Torah and includes all of Scripture—from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:20. And he tells us how to begin our journey in a simple yet profound statement:

 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because narrow is the gate, and troublesome is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). 

You can see now why I titled this blog “Unfolding the Strait and Narrow”. Strait can be understood as “confined” or “affording little space”. I see “single file” when I think of strait. Most of us know what narrow means: limited or restricted. And Yah has clearly set before us this choice: The wide gate and broad way, which leads to destruction which the “many” have chosen OR the narrow gate and the troublesome way, which leads to life, which the “few” have found. Interesting that troublesome is plainly stated. It seems Yah wants us to know something about the choice we make. It makes me wonder if the “few” were searching. And if the troubles are a sifting of sorts: who will stay in spite of the troubles and who will fall away because it’s too uncomfortable. Hmmmm.

I wanted to look a bit closer at these two “ways”—the choice we must make between the two: the one leading to destruction and the other leading to life. I have not gathered an exhaustive  list of choices (all that are possible from the Scriptures), but I have gathered a comprehensive list of choices (enough to give a good idea of what is discussed). That’s the researcher in me speaking, just so you know! 

Let’s take another look at Jeremiah 6:16 when considering the choice we are faced with:

• We are to stand.
• We are to see.
• We are to ask.

Then Yah says there is “the good way” that we are to walk in. The result will be rest for our soul. But those first spoken to about this choice declined. They said, “We will not walk therein.” When my eyes were opened to the ancient path, I said, “Yes, I will walk in it.” I’m discovering and rediscovering what Yah has called me to—learning, unlearning, and relearning His Ways. 

A Look at Yah’s Ways

Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please Yahuah, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohiym! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

Psalm 67:2 “That your way may be known upon earth, your Yeshu’ah (Salvation) among all nations.”

Proverbs 12:28 “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”

Jubilees 23:26 “In those days the children shall begin to study the Torah, and to seek the commandments, and to return to the path of righteousness.”

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “And now, Yahsar’el, what does Yahuah Elohayka require of you, but to fear Yahuah Elohayka, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Yahuah Elohayka with all your heart and with all your soul, to guard the commandments of Yahuah, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good.”  

Psalm 119:30 “I have chosen the Way of Truth . . .”

Job 23:10 “But he knows the way that I take: when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

Proverbs 3:17 “. . . her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (speaking of Yah’s Wisdom).

John 14:6 “Yahusha (Messiah) said unto him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”

Psalm 119:1 “Blessed are the undefiled in the Way, who walk in the Torah of Yahuah.”

Psalm 119:30 “I have chosen the Way of Truth . . .”

Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

Proverbs 8:32 “. . . blessed are they that guard my ways.”

Deutronomy 28:9 “Yahuah shall establish You a holy people unto himself, as he has sworn unto you, if you shall guard the commandments of Yahuah Elohayka, and walk in his ways.”

Proverbs 12:28 “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”

Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.”

Art by Andrea

A Look at Man’s Ways

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Proverbs 13:15 “. . . but the way of transgressors is hard.”

Psalms 1:1 “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

Psalm 1:6 “. . . the way of the wicked shall perish.”

Psalm 146:9 “. . .but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.”

Proverbs 15:9 “The way of the wicked is an abomination unto Yahuah….” 

Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

Summary of My Thoughts

I could go on—there are so many Scriptures that talk about The Narrow Way, The Path Yah calls us to walk, but I want to just collect my thoughts and share them with you.

The choice we have set before us is summed up in Jubilees 12:19-20—Abraham’s first recorded prayer: 

“My Elohiym, El Elyon, you alone are my Elohiym, and you and your dominion have I chosen. And you have created all things, and all things are the work of your hands. Deliver me from the hands of evil roachoth who have dominion over the thoughts of men’s hearts, and let them not lead me astray from you, my Elohiym. And establish me and my seed forever that we go not astray from you henceforth and forever more.”

In making his prayer my own, I took the next step: I re-baptized myself in my son’s swimming pool using the words from Isaiah 11 and in the name of Yahusha Ha’Mashiach, renounced my own way and accepted Yah’s Ruach (Spirit) of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might, Knowledge, Fear, and Reverence—the Spirit of Yahuah. 

I had written a song about 20 years ago, prophetically, I believe, because the words were not true at the time but have since become my experience. I had lived with a deep sadness which affected everything in my life. But no longer.

The lyrics: I will sing to you a new song, Yah.

I will sing to you a new song.

A song of joy, a song of gladness.

A song of praise, not more sadness.

I will sing to you a new song. 

My sadness is gone. Yah’s Ways are as simple as that . . . and as profound. 

Art by Andrea