Daily Devotions
The Old Paths
Reading for August 13th: Jeremiah 4-6
Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16
What does it mean to ask for the old paths?
The call for the old paths is a call for God's authority to reign over us. It is a surrender of our will, our likes and dislikes, to the desires and directions of our Master and Lord.
The call for the old paths is an acknowledgement that we've made a mess of things. We've polluted our lives with the filth of the nations. We wanted to be like everyone else, and we've suffered for it.
The call for the old paths is not the same as traditionalism. The Pharisees were traditionalists. They worshiped the new and the novel. Jesus told them to abandon all human tradition, and (like Jeremiah before him) called them to go back to the old paths.
The call for the old paths is a return to that which brings us peace. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. We've created this mess by following our own paths and our own ways. Returning to God's way brings order back to our lives.
Father, thank you for giving us the old paths in your Word. May we find that good way and never stray from it.
