Which way do we go?
Have you ever been at a fork or a "T" in the road and wondered which way was the right way to go? They may both lead to the same destination, but there is always a better or a right choice.
The same is true in our walk with the Lord. We have a choice to follow the Lord's path which is always the best one, or we can go our own way. Jeremiah 6:16 speaks of the benefits of following the "good way":
"This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'"
When this verse first jumped out at me as I was reading Jeremiah 6, I thought I would be writing about asking God which way was good and walking in it but, as usual, God had a different plan. After I pasted it here and began to write this article, the "we will not walk in it" was like a flashing neon sign. (Here's your sign.) God had been showing the Israelites the way, the good path, for centuries and they refused again and again to walk in it. They were obstinate and wanted to follow their own path, what they thought was the best way. We stubborn humans often believe our way is always the best way.
Stiff-necked Israelites, they had God right there in front of them, prophets speaking His Word and yet they didn't follow Him. But wait, we have the written Word, the Bible, that tells us of the experience of the Israelites, of the troubles they had because of choosing their own way. We have God right here with us just as they did, and we have been saved by the blood of Christ, yet we do just the same as they did. We are more obstinate than they were!
We have the good path laid before us, yet we are determined at times to go our own way. We think we know what is best for us or we put our wants before God's desires for us. We trust in our vision, instead of God's all-seeing vision. We say we want to follow the way God has laid out for us, but our actions sometimes prove otherwise.
Yet there is hope!
God doesn't give up on us or leave us to our own directions. Again, we have the Israelites as an example. He picks us up and shows us the right path. He places it before us again and again until we learn to follow His path and not our own.
Have you taken a wrong turn and gone down the wrong path? If so, now is the time to stop and ask for directions. Ask God to put you back on the right path, the good way, and then follow Him. Remember, He knows what lies ahead, He can see all the way to eternity. I pray we'll all seek the good way!
--Jodi Hendricks is a longtime member of Farmington United Methodist Church. She teaches adult and youth Bible classes. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
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“This is what the Lord says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
Jeremiah 6:16