Jeremiah 6:16 NLT
[16] “This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

Our path through life is full of crossroads, with many signposts pointing this way or that way… follow this path or that path which, each signpost assure us, will surely take us to our desired destination.

How can we be sure that the path we choose to follow is the correct one? Wise Solomon warned…

Proverbs 14:12 NLT
[12] “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

So, with so many ways from which to choose, how can we know which way will take us to life? Must we choose Allah, or Buddha, or Confucius, or the way of the Pope, or the way of some religious leader? Which one has told us the way, demonstrated the way, and proved beyond doubt that this way is the right way?

Like many of God’s wise words that urge us to go back to the beginning, Jeremiah declares that the old, godly way is the right way, the way to go.

From cover to cover, the Bible shows us the godly way. Its counsel takes us to God as the only centre of our lives from whom we get direction, assurance, and support.

God does not crave sacrifice. What can animal blood do for our sinful hearts? What can fasting or washing our dirty bodies or hands do for our polluted souls? What can rituals do to cleanse us from sin?

Micah 6:6-7 NLT
[6]”What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? [7] Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?”

These are all wasteful and futile attempts to appease God for our sin. What does He require now that He required from Adam in the beginning? Like Adam, we have all blotted our copybook and stand guilty before Him.

Micah spells it out in three simple instructions.

Micah 6:8 NLT
[8] “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Even clearer to us in God’s Word is the way Jesus lived. He is not only the signpost but also the God who is with us, Christ in us, and Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Jesus is the “old, godly way”. He was before time. He will be when time ceases. He lived an entirely God-centred life, perfectly submitted and obedient to the Father and in harmony with His will.

Thus, He could call His people to come to Him and to follow Him because His way brought rest to the soul. He promised to provide the same rest of soul for those who lived as He did.

Rest! What is rest? Don’t people everywhere crave rest but don’t know where to find it? Is rest about our circumstances? Freedom from stress? Will plenty of money in our bank account bring us rest? No family worries? No conflicts in our circle, or circumstances at work, in our community? Is this even possible? Can we still have rest when stuff is happening around us which we can’t control?

Jeremiah assured God’s people that real rest was a consequence of living God’s way. David said that God’s Word lights our path and shows us the way. So, the old, godly way is simply living the way God intended for us by following His instructions. This way gives us no reason to be afraid of the future or ashamed of our past because God has taken care of both. He has forgiven our sin through Jesus and opened the way to fellowship with Him, now and forever.

This is real rest. Our circumstances don’t matter if we are at rest in our hearts. However, we can only have this test if we follow God’s path. Going God’s way will cost us our independence but… the reward far outweighs the cost.

However…

In Jeremiah’s words, people are stubborn. They would rather have their independence, their self-will, and their stubborn resistence to God’s way to enjoy their sin than surrender to Him and experience His rest.

Let’s look at Moses for a moment. He is a great example of someone who looked at life from the correct perspective.

Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV
[24] “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. [25] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. [26] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

Tragically, our own way leads to destruction. The only reward for rebellion against God is hell.

As Jesus said, there are two paths, one that leads to hell, a fiery place of torment and regret, and the other to life, a heaven of love and peace. The way that leads to life brings conflict with the world outside now but rest of the soul within. The other way satisfies the cravings of the sinful nature but never allows the conscience to rest. The price we pay for rest now is miniscule compared with the price we will pay if we reject God’s way.