“Walk in what?” you ask. Surely there are many Scriptures where God is talking to a particular people group about something that He wants them to glean from. If you know the Bible’s story as a whole, you also know that though some things might be addressed to ‘one’, they are written for us ‘all’. The LORD intends for the Word of God to illuminate His law, His promises, His prophecy, His Truth- lessons that every single person can glean Biblical wisdom from.
In Jeremiah 6:16 we find the LORD in angst over Jerusalem when they refuse to walk in His Light. “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.””
They were steeped in greed.
They had no shame.
They paid no attention to His Words.
They rejected the law of the LORD.
They were stubbornly rebellious.
They were slanderers, acting corruptly.
They, themselves, said they would “not walk in it.”
They had turned from the LORD and ran in mind, body, and spirit away from all that was good and just and righteous- away from the Lord, their God.
They chose not to listen.
They took no pleasure in the Word of the LORD.
They called out “Peace, Peace” when there was no peace they were after.
They did not blush at their wrong-doing.
They refused rest for their souls.
They decided paying attention was not for them.
In rejecting God and His Law, God planned to reject them.
But, God.
He is relentlessly forgiving.
Psalm 128:1 assures us that “blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways!” We might consider what the opposite of ‘blessed’ is… ‘cursed.’ We are walking on only one of two paths, the narrow path that leads to eternal life and a life of blessing… and the wide path that leads to eternal life of destruction and a life of cursedness.
He is relentlessly merciful.
The LORD does not give to us that which we deserve. His extended hand of mercy holds back the punishment our flesh indeed deserves. To receive His mercies (which “are new every morning…” Lamentations 3:23), we must simply come. Come bowed low in spirit to receive His forgiveness and mercy. Come just the way we are. Come with nothing to hide and nothing to lose- and with everything to gain!
The great news?! WE get to choose which path we’ll walk on! Let us walk in the ways of the LORD, down the path of righteousness that leads to a life of blessing and an eternity with Jesus Himself. This CHRISTmas, don’t lose sight of the baby Jesus. Remember, He is King!
SPEAK LIFE Ministries with Patience West 