The old, ancient, godly path
We begin our journey through Jeremiah with a look at God's way
Verse of the Day: “This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path and you will find rest for your souls.” - Jeremiah 6:16
“This is what the Lord says:”……..let’s first stop here. It’s a blessing and a privilege to serve a God that speaks to us. Consider your encounters with someone of high importance. You likely have an experience where someone of high status would not speak with you. Yet, we serve a God, the Creator of the universe, who sustains the world, that talks with us. And wants to have relationship with us. That is a blessing too great for words.
“Stop at the crossroads and look around”……..there is an intersection of belief and unbelief that we all must go through. We have to look around and consider the pathways. Every day, we arrive at this intersection. Every day, we are tempted with the lust of the world and all of the unfulfilling pleasures it has to offer. Every day, we have the opportunity to follow God’s way. Every day, we must choose the right turn to find the path that leads to life.
“Ask for the old, godly way”………when I read the Old Testament, I am amazed that in 2023, I have the ability to read text that is so ancient and historical. My flesh will often try to get me to believe that the Old Testament is outdated and no longer relevant, however, that couldn’t be further from the truth. All scripture is important and meaningful.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” - 2 Timothy 3:16
God’s way is indeed old, because He existed before all things, but it’s not old in the sense that it is still not useful. The godly way is the only way for us to live our lives.
“and walk in it”……..this is a reminder that in our faith journey, we have to be proactive. We have to be a willing and active participant in our faith. We cannot stand on the sidelines and expect God to make major moves. We have to get into the game. Walking with Jesus is literally that. It’s a walk. The beauty is in the journey. The destination is eternal life. And all who walk in this way will receive what God has promised.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” - Hebrews 10:23
“Travel its path”………As we just mentioned, the faith journey is an active one. We have to travel the path of faith. This path is not easy. Jesus explains it perfectly.
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” - Matthew 7:13
The above Scripture is one of my favorites in all of the Bible. Jesus is very direct when explaining how to enter God’s Kingdom. It’s a narrow gate. It’s not supposed to feel like what everyone else is doing. It’s not supposed to feel like the way of the world and the everchanging trends of the day. The highway to hell is broad. There are many more people not following Jesus faithfully than those who are. If you are one of very few people in your community following Jesus, do not that let discourage you. This is a narrow gate and a difficult path, but its the best path for our lives. Let the faith journey change you and allow God to transform you in a way that only He can.
“and you will find rest for your souls”……..this a promise that brings rest to my soul already. I can feel it in my body as I type this sentence. THIS is the promise that God gives those who are faithful. We must not grow weary in well-doing. The efforts we make and the energy we expend to follow Jesus will result in rest here on earth and forevermore in Heaven. If you are going through a difficult time right now, be encouraged by this promise.
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” - Romans 8:18
The old, ancient, godly path is the path to life. Do you find yourself at the crossroads today? Turn to God and follow His way. The rest He promises is on the way.