“The Lord said to His people; “You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it. If you do, you will find rest for your souls.” But they said, we will not follow it! Jeremiah 6:16
Each day that comes brings with it a multitude of choices and decisions that we must make. These are the crossroads or paths that the Lord wants us to consider. He is saying to us, “Think about carefully, and take into account the choices you are making each day and where those choices will lead you.” I have to wonder how many of us really do this. Often times, we wake up and go into auto pilot mode. We do the same things that we have done in the past never really thinking it all through.
When we do consider what path to take and are still unsure, God gives us the answer for that. He says, "ask.” He does not desire His will for us to be a secret. He desires for us to know the way that will bring good to us. He wants His plans for us to be fulfilled. He is for us, not against us. He wants us to prosper in all our ways. In Proverbs 15:22 it says, “Plans fail without advice, but with many counselors they are confirmed.” Are we asking those people in our lives who know the Lord for wise counsel? It is especially important in the big decisions we have to make in our lives. God will confirm the way to go and what to do. Often times, it will be with two or three confirmations.
Next, the Lord give us the key to getting anxiety, worry, stress, depression, and many other issues that we deal with out of our lives. He says,“Once you know the path to take, the choice you should make, follow it! Do it, go that way, and then, you will find rest for your souls.” As we surrender our will and control, the heavy yoke that we carry will be replaced with rest in our minds and emotions. We desperately need the rest that the yoke of Jesus offers. Jesus was submitted to His Father’s good and perfect will. He only did as His Father told Him. Jesus trusted and obeyed even though His flesh was telling Him to go the other direction. We must remember that Jesus was fully human. He had to deny the desires that were contrary to His Fathers will just like we do. He had to “consider” as well.
Did you notice at the end of this verse it says, “But they would not follow it?” Did you get that? Many times, we know what we are to do. We know what path to walk on, but we are unwilling. We can find many reasons for not walking the path God would have us to walk on, but many times it is still that one word we do not like to admit to having; rebellion. Until we are willing to deal with our rebellion, our lives will be in a constant up and down state of confusion and turmoil. We will first seek the doctor’s answer for why we are depressed and don’t feel right inside. We will take the human solution for our problems instead of considering that we just might need to humble ourselves under God’s authority and change some of our actions. We will exhaust ourselves trying to do things our own way. We will never have the inner rest God desires for us to have in our lives right now. As we surrender the areas of our life He is requiring of us, the better clarity we will have. We will become stable, content, and peaceful. We will enter the rest that we so desperately need.
As I read this verse, God spoke to me very loudly through it. I know that He is telling me, and all of you; consider, ask, and walk it out. We must be not just a hearer of the Word, but a doer of the Word!
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