At the Crossroads

I have found the Internet to be a tremendous blessing and a source of a great deal of good information. Following my Monday night counseling session I was challenged about the concept of "Listening Prayer". Since this idea was somewhat new to me I decided to come home and go out on the Internet looking for information about this. Along the way, I came across a verse of scripture in someone's post that really touched my heart. And this verse is the subject of my blog entry today.

"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

Interestingly enough the person whose blog I read did not put the last sentence into her post. It was only as I was going out to find the exact verse for my writing that I saw it. Again, God is so good.

I am at the crossroads. I have been going through a tremendous journey the last six months. I have discovered many things about myself that I did not know - or perhaps was unwilling to recognize. I have discovered that I have a very prideful heart. Even in my sorrow over my sin, I have been proud. Too proud to accept that the God I love could love me. I have found that I am an idolater. I have placed other gods before God. I have realized that I have been and continue to be in bondage with addictions that wreck havoc on my physical body.

Now, some may see this as very discouraging. But, I don't. I am thrilled. God has been using this time to reveal to me that He desires to be my all in all. He desires to love me out of the bondage that I am in. He desires to break down the strongholds that have held me fast. And so this verse is so appropriate.

So here it is. The verse says that I am to ask for the ancient path. And so I am praying that God will reveal that to me. I always loved the thought that God was the Ancient of Days. The ancient path then must lead to Him. We are also to ask for the good path. How like God to remind me through the prophet Jeremiah that I am to ask for the good path. He knows that I have absolutely NO problem finding the wrong path. And so I am praying that God will direct me to the good path.

And so, I am praying and listening. And I am determined to walk in the good path. I know that I may be walking alone. I may not have any human company. But, that is okay. I believe that God is teaching me that I must find my peace in Him and that I must be continually plugged into Him and not be fretting about who or who doesn't walk with me. He promises that I will find rest for my soul. Oh how blessed that would be. I have been striving for so long. And I am so terribly weary. I need rest for my soul. How much does the Father love me that He gave this verse to me at this time.

Sadly, the verse doesn't end there. Obviously, the audience that Jeremiah was sharing with did not take the counsel. They chose to not walk in the good way. They chose not to ask for the ancient path. They chose not to have rest for their weary souls. Lest I seem judgemental I know how easy this is to have happen. I have been headstrong in my life. I have chosen time and again the wrong path - the sinful path that led to destruction.

Oh God, Ancient of Days
I long to walk in your good path
My soul is weary and longs for peace

Oh God, Everlasting One
I ask for your Ancient path
At the crossroad I stand

Oh God, Omniscient One
You see my heart
Guide me to chose the right way

Oh God, Omnipotent One
You know my weakness
Strengthen me with Your power

Oh God, Omnipresent One
You surround me on every side
Guard my heart and mind

How gracious and good you are.