WHERE THE GOOD WAY LIES...

SCRIPTURE

Jeremiah 6:10-19 (NRSV)

Call to faithfulness

To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
See, their ears are closed,
they cannot listen.
The word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.
But I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
I am weary of holding it in.

Pour it out on the children in the street,
and on the gatherings of young men as well;
both husband and wife shall be taken,
the old folk and the very aged.
Their houses shall be turned over to others,
their fields and wives together;
for I will stretch out my hand
against the inhabitants of the land,

says the Lord.

For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
saying, "Peace, peace,"
when there is no peace.
They acted shamefully, they committed abomination;
yet they were not ashamed,
they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,

says the Lord.
Thus says the Lord:
Stand at the crossroads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies;
and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, "We will not walk in it."
Also I raised up sentinels for you:
"Give heed to the sound of the trumpet!"
But they said, "We will not give heed."
Therefore hear, O nations,
and know, O congregation, what will happen to them.
Hear, O earth; I am going to bring disaster on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,
because they have not given heed to my words;
and as for my teaching, they have rejected it.



DEVOTION

Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies...

I don't know about you, but I am going through a season in my life when I am being asked to make decisions and choices that will impact me, my family, and generations to come.

It is at times like these, that I realize how wholly dependent I am upon the wisdom and will of God to lead me along the path "where the good way lies."

Often I am tempted to make my own choices and go my own way, but I know that to do so will only lead to my folly and possibly my destruction.

Since God made me, knows me, and loves me more than I love myself, I can trust God's will, wisdom, and timing in my life. I can walk by faith, knowing that God will not lead me astray and will certainly take good care of me.

Every night I pray, "God show me the open door of opportunity that will lead me into your perfect will."

This is simply another way of saying, "Show me the ancient path that is Your good and chosen way for my life."

Now, let me be honest. There are times that I have strayed off the good path and into the underbrush because of my own impatience, impudence, insubordination, ignorance, or sin.

It is at times like these that I am so grateful that God does not abandon me--and God will not abandon you either! Instead, God goes with us, never leaving us, nor forsaking us. God will not rescue us from the consequence of our sin and folly, but God will not abandon us to it either.

Just as soon as we recognize that we are lost and cry out to God to forgive and rescue us, God stands ready and willing to gently guide us back onto the good path.

I am so glad that we love and serve a good, gracious, merciful, and loving God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! I am so glad that Love gave Jesus to die on the cross to make atonement for our sin and gift us with eternal life. I am so thrilled that JESUS is the Way, the Truth, and the Light...

As we put all of our hope in Jesus, choosing to follow wherever He may lead us, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are on the ancient path that leads only to our good!

Won't you follow Jesus today?


Let us pray:

Holy God, thank you for Jesus. Thank you that He is The Way that leads to my salvation! Please help me to boldly follow wherever You may lead me. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta