Seek the Ways of God

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Scripture: Jerimiah 6.16 (NLT)

16 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.

But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

 

Devotion:

 

            Today’s scripture in a call to follow the ways of God. In this scripture, God is offering Israel a chance to forsake the evil ways it is following. God pleads with His people to return to the ways set out for them in the Mosaic laws. The ways of peace and rest. Israel however rejects that way and chooses to go its own way. This breaks the Lord’s heart and moves him to punish his people for their freely made choices.

 

            What can this verse teach us today? I believe that our culture today has passed the point of no return. Unless God intervenes directly and causes a revival to radically change the course that we are on disaster awaits us. Still God is more merciful than I can imagine. I hope that if we repent and change our ways God may overlook our sins and grant us mercy and new life. Jesus came and, in his dying, and rising in his passion he secured for us a way to the heart of God.

 

            While salvation for each individual is a result of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. No outside help is needed. Deliverance for a nation from the fruits of its own folly requires national repentance and sorrow for sins first, salvation follows. It is worthy of note that in this verse, the psalmist urges the nation to stop what it is doing and look around. The nations today rush madly toward destruction because of their belief that there is no God. If indeed we could learn to take life more slowly and be aware of our surroundings maybe things would go better for us as a nation.

           

            The way of peace through Christ is well marked but difficult to walk. It is not suitable for those in a hurry to be somewhere. However, the path of Christ leads to peace and rest for our souls. We, as a nation, are sharply divided. The nation is busy boycotting one another. There is talk that openly advocates for tearing the fabric upon which this nation was founded. As a nation we no longer look to the ways of God, and we are suffering for it. Let us pray that we would have the wisdom as a nation to stop what we are doing and return to the Lord for guidance.

 

Prayer:

 

            Heavenly Father, hear our prayer this day. We come to you on behalf of our nation. We have sinned mightily against your laws and statutes. We confess our sin to you Oh God. Teach us again your ways that we may follow you more closely and obtain the blessing that our ancestors have left to us. Grant us your peace and wholeness to overcome our anger and division. May everything that has breath praise your Holy Name. Amen.

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