JEREMIAH 6:16
16 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.
Jeremiah 6:16 A SACRED JOURNEY
Springford Baptist Church: September 3, 2023.
With any journey taken, there must be careful thought given to the way chosen. There are choices to make when we stand at a crossroads. We consider what direction to take because our choice will affect whether we come closer with God and find rest for our souls.
This past week, several people were eager to view the highly unusual super blue moon. This super blue moon is not expected to appear again until 2037, in another 14 years. A regular blue moon will appear again in about a year’s time in 2024. As I understand it, a blue moon refers to the time when there is a second full moon in a month. There is that saying, “once in a blue moon” that is used to refer to something that does not happen often. Many people were eager to see the super blue moon and there were several photographs taken of what is relatively unusual. Some people will not see another super blue moon in their lifetime.
Imagine if close encounters with God were likewise highly unusual and only happened rarely. How disappointing this would be to not be able to expect to experience the fullness of God’s loving Presence with us any time that we choose to turn to Him. If we could only expect to find rest for our souls once in a while, then our faith in God would not satisfy our needs.
We are going to spend the next several weeks exploring the kind of sacred journey that can lead us closer to God so that we will become more like Jesus his Son. Indisputably, this is a unique journey that requires our attention and sincere intention at every crossroads of decision.
It is essential for us to realize that God wants to accompany us on every step of our sacred journey to know Him more.
My attention is taken in this Scripture from Jeremiah 6:16 that Jeremiah writes, “This is what the LORD says:” I want to hear what the LORD says because that will guide my choices and as these words from the LORD affirm, the result will be, “rest for our souls.”
In essence, what we have in this single verse of Scripture is an invitation to a journey. Whatever choices we have made in the past, when we stand at a crossroads, it is a chance to choose differently.
Standing at the crossroads, indicates a pause, not just darting forward with little thought given to the direction we are taking.
When we stand at a crossroads, it is an ideal time to pray and to trust God to guide us in what path we will next choose. This is something for us as followers of Jesus to consider regularly, not simply “once in a blue moon.” Our everyday decisions about where our sacred journey will take us, will deeply affect our relationship with God and our relationships with others.
When my daughter Geneva and I were hiking the Bruce Trail, we came to the understanding that if we were unsure of direction, we needed to accurately determine that before proceeding. There were a few times that we carried on when the blazes were not clearly marked and we weren’t sure of which way to take. Each time we would have to return to stand at the crossroads and to ensure which path we were to take.
Now in this Scripture from Jeremiah as we read the LORD’s admonition, we hear, “ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is.” We are to ask those questions and to look to God to show us the answers.
Understand with me that God longs for us to ask Him to show us the ancient paths and where the good way is. God has led His people before and it has been on the good way. The “ancient paths” have been the tried and true ways of this people’s God pleasing ancestors. In Deuteronomy 32:7, we read, “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders and they will explain to you.”
When we have known what it is to choose God’s tried and true path for our sacred journey, then it is our responsibility to share that. When we become the “elders” then we will need to explain patiently to other travellers who come after us what we have discovered as the good way to travel.
Notice that it is not enough to ask and then identify what the good way is on our sacred journey. If the outcome of standing at the crossroads and choosing is not to take the route that God leads us to take then we will be stalled. How many times do we stand at the crossroads and not advance any further?
We all know people who struggle to make decisions. They keep weighing out all the possibilities, but do not get any further.
This would be like someone who is going to purchase a new couch and researches all the different choices but never moves forward to actually buy a new couch. There will not be rest for our souls if we do not actively follow the path God is pointing us towards. When we stand at a crossroads, we must make a choice.
Each day, you and I make choices about what way to follow. We can look to the ancient paths that others have chosen in their desire to walk closely with God. When we are determined to follow the good way, the way of God then we will need to rely on Him at every turn to guide us.
It is a hopeful realization that whatever regrets we have about the paths we have chosen before, God is inviting us to stand at a new crossroads today. If we long to walk in the good way that God has for us then we can hear his invitation right now. We do not have to wait. We can step into the path that God is guiding us towards. The outcome will be rest for our souls. The rest for our souls comes not in stubbornly choosing our own willful way, but rather surrendering to walk in God’s good way.
Today as we share in Communion, the Lord’s Supper together, we are compelled by the example of Jesus. He stood at the crossroads that led Him to the cross for us. Jesus was willing to choose the way that God had for him although it was an unspeakably difficult way. Jesus chose this way so that each of us could be liberated from the grip of sin and also choose to walk in the way that God leads.
This sacred journey does not promise to be easy, yet if our desire is to walk in obedience to God’s direction then we like Jesus must be willing to walk whatever path God leads us on!