“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” Jeremiah 6:16
More than any other prophet, Jeremiah preached a message of repentance, calling upon the people to turn from their wickedness and return to the God of their fathers. He reminded them of how God had delivered them in the past and blessed them when they served Him with all their hearts. Now they were facing the consequences of worshipping the pagan gods. Over and over Jeremiah advised them to repent and turn back to God, but they refused to listen.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12
When I was a child almost everyone in our village went to church on Sunday and had some measure of faith in God. The Bible was read in our schools, and our moral and social standards were based on the basic teaching of Christianity. What a different world we live in today. The Scripture in Judges 21:25, describing the condition of the land in the time of the judges, could very well be applied today. “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
I was just a child when my dad surrendered his life to the Lord, and I am so thankful that the Lord placed a desire in my heart to serve Him. His Word has been precious to me through the years. There have been times I failed and made mistakes, and I have had to repent and get back on track. The Lord has always been there for me, forgiving me and guiding me along the right paths. I am thankful for His Word. No matter how many times we read the Bible, the Lord always has something new for us. He illuminates the Scriptures as we pray. He has promised to give us the wisdom we need to live from day to day.
The promise of God that Jeremiah proclaimed is still ours to claim today. “ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for your love and your mercy that calls us daily to repentance. Thank you for your Word, which is a lamp and light to our path. Thank you for the promise of eternity with You.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
Comments are closed.