Asking for the Ancient Paths

"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."

These are words that God spoke to his rebellious people through the mouth of Jeremiah, his prophet. They were words uttered in the twilight just before the looming exile of the people of God into a land not their own. A land full of "gods" that they ran after instead of God Himself, gods who betrayed them, gods who could not answer, gods who were made of wood and stone. Not the God of the Universe. Not the God who created the sea and later parted it on Israel's behalf. Not the God who made a cameo as a pillar of fire.

One of the defining characteristics of the prophets is the pattern of Judgment and Redemption, over and over. The Lord will thunder judgment, he will rightfully admonish his people, confront their wrongdoing but then always offers the soothing rain of redemption. When Israel had adulterated their relationship with God and become overwhelmed with distraction after distraction God beckoned to them.

He said when you are standing on the ash pile that is your life - when your feet are blistered and dirty from your sojourning down the paths of sin and you have arrived at a crossroads - ask for the ancient path. The path of a right relationship with God, the path where you once walked but may have strayed oh so far, the path where others have gone before and now reside in the celestial city with the King.

We are all members of a rebel race on a journey. We have found ourselves on a long, long road full of endless streets branching off and leading out into the darkness, puddled from the poison rain. There is the street of lust, the street of riches, the street of hate, pride, unfaithfulness, complacency, coldheartedness, deception and selfishness and on and on and on they stretch.

But when we come to these crossroads we are to stop
and ask for the ancient path
ask where the good way is

where Jesus is

and walk in it

for only there will we find rest for our souls.

"I want to feel the sunlight on my face
I want to see the dust cloud disappear without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name..." -U2