“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. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” Jeremiah 6:16
Reflect
Jeremiah was dealing with a highly frustrating situation. The Israelites were walking in disobedience, and though God was compassionate (which is true to His character), there was about to be consequences. As God spoke to them, He gave them a choice. He told them to look at the ancient paths—to look for the good way—and they would find rest for their souls. What happened? They blatantly denied God.
Have you ever faced a consequence of disobedience? I think at one point or another we have all been in a place where we have been given a choice, the good way and the way of the flesh. We have all denied God, even if we weren’t as blunt about it as the Israelites. Our obedience is crucial. In every choice we are given, there will always be consequences. There is a consequence for disobedience, and there is a consequence for obedience. Our choices determine our consequences, which determines our pathways. Our lives are made up of a plethora of outcomes of choices made, and the major consequence of our sinful choices is death. The wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23). Wouldn’t it be a tragedy if our eternal destiny was based on our choices?
We can rest in the fact that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin. Though we make choices that don’t honor God, Jesus took on our consequences. Not to say there aren’t consequences we meet in this sinful world due to our or other’s bad choices, but we are forgiven. Through Christ, God has made a way for us to be renewed.
Are your choices ones that obey God or deny Him? What can we do to walk in obedience daily? Make your prayer one of obedience this week. May we glorify God in all we do.
Pray
God I know I am faced with choices daily. Help me to spend time in Your Word and let it guide me in every decision I make. Help me to never deny you, but to constantly work to glorify You. Thank you that because of what Jesus did on the cross, I am redeemed from my sin.
Your Turn
What does Romans 3:23 have to say about sin? How can we be eternally minded this week in the decisions we make? Are you spending time in the Word? Let God’s Word guide your decisions, asking Him to help you in obedience.
