The Way Home

The prophet Jeremiah was called at age seven. His name meant “Yahweh hurls,” and indeed God did. His ministry extended over a period of about 50 years. Much of Jeremiah’s prophecy was about impending judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem, however, it always included a call for national repentance and the promise of possible restoration. Jeremiah offers some sound advice: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6: 16)

This was not an encouragement to revert to old ways of doing things. It was an appeal to recover the successful principles that caused Israel to be a great nation in the past, and indeed they were.

Their dire circumstances left them in need of wisdom. One place they could find it was in the old paths, that is, to look to their history and forefathers, to learn from what God had done in and through them before.

Today, as then, old paths are not considered to be good paths. There is a tendency to disregard them simply because they are old. Old is out. New is in.

They were instructed to take a stand regarding the benefits and blessings of the past, meaning don’t simply blow them off as outdated.

They were to “see” their value. That means to look at what benefitted from them. An objective consideration of what those old ways achieved would reveal a positive result. As seen in the proper light they would be seen as the good way.

Finally, to benefit from such a review the old ways had to be walked in. That is figurative speech meaning they must be applied and followed.

America can greatly benefit by taking the same sequential steps today.

History revisionists are robbing us of potential blessings. In keeping us from knowing the precepts and principals that made America great, we are bereft of their inherent blessings.

To benefit from the old paths, God told them to walk in them, to actually obey and follow His word and work in history.

The response to God’s instruction through Jeremiah was a sad one, “We will not walk in it.” Thus, they forfeited their opportunity for renewed blessings. May we avoid their error.

The path to follow is defined in God’s holy word, the Bible. Start by reading the word and asking Him how to apply it in your life. Each time an instruction is given let your response be, “Yes, Lord, yes as you say so will I do.” Let your Bible reading and study help you to gain a better comprehension of His will. Don’t stop with simply knowing it, resolve to comply with it.

“Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6: 16)

Sign here: “I will Lord____________________________.”          

A Directed Path

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5, 6

In life many frustrations and tragedies are experienced. Our limited understanding often fails to give us a clear comprehension of why. This frequently results in bitterness and cynicism.

Though you don’t understand all things, if you know the one who administers all things you know you can trust Him in even the most bleak circumstances. You can be sure that when your trust is in the Lord you are in trustworthy hands.

Any event in life can make you either bitter or better. The choice is yours.

Jesus is not one of life’s electives. His purpose is not to be a frill on your life. He is the God of eternity. Choices should be made in His sight. Actions should be subject to His scrutiny. The storms of life can rock such a faith, but they can’t sink it. Therefore, trust in the Lord with ALL your heart…

Acknowledge, that is, admit that every event in life is under His hand. We must submit our wills to His will. This requires trust. It keeps ego in check. It brings a tranquil mind.

“Be not wise in your own conceits….” (Romans 12: 16)

On the road to Damascus, Saul was entrenched in his own opinions when he met Jesus. Jesus de-fogged Paul’s life. As the sun melts the frost on a window and allows it to become a clear medium through which to emit light, a knowledge of Christ enlightens our understanding.

This text is not a prohibition against using our full mental facility. Discrete planning is expedient. It simply encourages having Biblical wisdom and spiritual guidance to determine goals. 

“Lean not…” was a metaphor which came from the practice of a king who appeared in public leaning on his friends. Lean on Jesus. Don’t rest on your understanding alone. Avoid ego at all costs. It is a rotten crutch. 

Jesus will be “health to your navel.” (VS 8)    

In Hebrew antiquity this expression referred to what they considered the seat of strength. It means He will become the central force of your strength.

He will be as “marrow to your bones….” When the marrow dries, the bones weaken. As marrow is to bones, so He will be to you.

As health is to nerves, and as strength is to the bones, so is the Lord to life. It is He, our beloved Lord, who will guide our path, that is, our way of life.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3: 5, 6)

Trust and Obey

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5, 6

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” The way? There is cause to marvel that there is any way. That there is “a” way gives cause to rejoice. Good news! There is a right way and the Scripture defines it for us. 

There is no promise that it is the EASY way. However, it is the “right” way and ultimately it will prove to be the most gratifying and satisfying.

Therefore, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart….” (Vs. 5a)    

Psychologist Erik Erickson says that the capacity to trust is the very foundation of emotional health. Parents should keep that in mind in rearing their children. A child first learns to trust or mistrust depending on the parent’s reliability or lack of it. 

In a culture where absolutes are few and the mandate for mediocrity is “everything is relevant,” that is, situation ethics prevails, trust comes hard. “How can I trust?” is a legitimate question. Start by finding that which is proven trustworthy.

In reality there are only two objects of trust: God or self. How many times have you promised yourself something and you didn’t deliver? Such as: I am going to stay or my diet. I am going to start studying. Change a habit. Finish a project.

The solution? “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:5 

Trust has two aspects. First, there must be the decision to trust. Next, there must be developed the habit of trust. First comes commitment and then comes habitual trust. Trust follows commitment. Trust was a wrestling term. Notice wrestlers. They grab one another and won’t let go. The term actually means to “body slam.” That is not casual contact. It is an impact of consequence. It means to cling to God like tape to paper.

Trust is based on knowledge. “Those who know your name will put their trust in you.” (Psalms 9: 10) The name used for “God” here is “Yahweh,” meaning the “God of Covenant.” By using this title it means He is a faithful God who keeps His promises. To know Him is to love Him. To love Him is to know Him better.

The Hebrew word translated “trust” means “to set ones confidence and hope upon.”

As a wife looked over her husband’s shoulder at his appointment calendar, she said, “God loves you, and everybody has a wonderful plan for your life.” True! There is true joy in finding God’s path and walking it with faith in Him.

God Spoke

On a scale of 0 to 100 measuring people’s confidence in the Bible are people on both ends and all points in between. The following is offered with the hope it will give cause for confidence in it.

Second Peter 1: 16 – 21 is the most definitive passage of Scripture regarding the origin and authority of the Bible.

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Peter said he was an eyewitness of the Holy Spirit’s descent on Jesus at His baptism.

He then said he heard the voice of God say, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Following saying he was an eye witness and an ear witness he says regarding Scripture “we have the prophetic word confirmed,” meaning we have a more sure word. The prophetic word confirmed is the Bible.

Furthermore it is said, “no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.” The interpretation related to its origin not being their own opinion.

It “never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 

Holy men of God were the penmen, but the Holy Spirit was their source of inspiration. It came from God. This affords confidence that, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  (II Timothy 3: 16, 17       

To have such confidence and not read and study is like a starving person having a banquet feast and not eating.

When you open the Bible it is as though God is opening His mouth.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2: 15)

Of Mice and Men

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  Ephesians 6: 11 – 13

The text speaks of the “wiles of the devil.” That means the subtle tricky ways he entices us to do wrong, as well as to sin. To gain some insight we need to look no further than to one of the most secret intelligence forces of the cold war, the East German Stasi. They made an acrostic for the four things they used to recruit people who would defect and become undercover spies for them against American forces. It was M-I-C-E. How do you catch a mouse? You set a well bated trap. There bate was:

        Money

        Ideology

        Compromise

        Ego

Money was thought to be a significant factor. They believed they could entice anyone to defect if offered three or four time their annual salary.

What price tag do you put on the sale of your character? People still abandon ther allegiance to the Lord in their hunger for money.    

Put a “NOT FOR SALE” sign in the yard of your will.

Ideology is a dark hole into which some fall. It comes in a variety of flavors: humanism, pluralism, secularism, pantheism, and materialism.

Many who become a Christian at a young age study Scripture as a child, but as they mature they are distracted and then begin to study the thoughts on one of those isms. Their childhood study fades in light of one of them and they defect.

Compromise is a slow and subtle slide away from Jesus. It is here those recruiting counter intelligent agents use sex and blackmail to induce people to forsake their allegiance to Jesus.

Ego plays a large part. If a person feels underappreciated, unrecognized, or underpaid they seek approval.

As a Revolutionary War General Benedict Arnold, realizing the strategic importance of securing New York, mustered a group of men and headed toward Fort Ticonderoga where he won an impressive victory. He suffered two wounds during the war. However, he felt unappreciated and not promoted. Thus, he became a candidate for betrayal and sold out the Patriot cause. For the same reason of ego some default on Jesus.

“….may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”  (I Kings 8: 61)