Walk in the Good Way

 

Scripture: Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV)

Thus says the Lord:

       “Stand by the roads, and look,

and ask for the ancient paths,

       where the good way is; and walk in it,

and find rest for your souls.

Devotion:

            Today’s words from Jeremiah call the nation of Israel to follow the Lord’s way. Our culture today stands at much the same kind of crossroads. What will we choose? The people to whom these words were addressed initially decided to ignore them and were plunged into a state of death and exile.          

            In our society, it will take wisdom from heaven to know which way we should choose. The most dangerous paths sometimes seem the most inviting to us. That is because the Devil is an angel of light. As such, he can masquerade as a trusted source while plotting our destruction all the time. The devil also mixes his lies with just enough truth to deceive us. As the Bible says in Genesis 3, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.” 

            We must be aware that none of us on our own can outwit the devil. We are foolish if we try. We can take comfort in the fact that the devil is a defeated enemy. Jesus disarmed Satan with His death on the cross and his rising from the dead. To walk in the good way, we must follow Jesus wherever He leads us.

            It is plain to see that our culture is sliding down the path to destruction. We, like the ancient Israelites, are foolish and easily deceived. We, instead, should be following the prophet's advice. Stop running hither and yon and stand by the roads and look. Ask God to show us the ancient and good way to walk on the road and ultimately find rest for our souls.

            The Lord’s way takes patience and diligence to find, but it is always worth it to spend the time and effort required to find the good way. In the allegory Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan stresses the ease with which even the most devout and well-meaning traveler can take the wrong road. We should assume that we are no better or wiser than the travelers in that book. We must pause and seek God’s way for our lives. If possible, find others seeking the same destination and reason with them, which is the right way.

Prayer:           

            Lord, we are pilgrims on a journey. We seek to find heaven as our final destination. However, there are so many ways to choose from. Give us wisdom that we may choose wisely and well and find that ultimate rest for our souls. Lord, help us to avoid traps and dead-end paths. Please help us find good traveling companions along the way. Forbid it, Lord, that we should try to walk this way alone. Amen.