Come Walk With Me (Part 1: Just Stand)
Jeremiah 6:16
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.
This scripture as of late has taken on a new life within me. I have heard it quoted, preached and dissected by a lot of different teachers and preachers, but I never had a true heartfelt comprehension for it until a few months ago.
As you know, Renee and I left Hodges Chapel for a little while and attended another church. We loved that church and the people there, however, we were being drawn back home to Hodges Chapel. Quite frankly, we were at a crossroads in our life, and we were praying for what God would have us do. It was during this time that God directed me this scripture and over the next few bible studies I would like to share what my heart has to say.
"Stand ye in the ways"
A better way of saying this is, "Stand at the crossroads". In ancient times crossroads could be a dangerous place for multiple reasons. First off, camels and horses did not have a built in GPS and you could easily turn down a wrong path. Also, remember the story of the Good Samaritan? It was not uncommon for highwaymen (thieves) to lay in wait and ambush unsuspecting foot traffic. Even in modern times coming to a intersection can be dangerous. If one person is not paying attention to their driving, a disaster may strike.
But the most dangerous of crossroads are not the ones on the physical plane but on the spiritual. These crossroads are places of indecision, places of insecurity, places of fear, places of trials, places of our own self-worth. It is when we come to these crossroads in life that we find ourselves failing and our hope faltering. We may find ourselves wanting to sit down and let our depression overwhelm us. We may find ourselves lying down to our worldly passions and turning our back on God.
BUT GOD SAID STAND!
"Stand ye in the ways"! But how do we stand? How can we stand when the enemy besets us? Well, quite frankly, you cannot. You cannot do anything on your own. But God has some equipment that can help you.
Ephesians 6: 10-17
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Is your crossroads filled with liars, false friends, false love, and false teachers? Put the gospel of truth around you and just stand.
Is your crossroads filled with depression, indecision, sinfulness so strong that it is hard to breath? Put on the God's righteousness and just stand.
Is your crossroads fill with potholes of anger, hatred, and bitterness? Put on the gospel of peace and just stand.
Is your crossroads filled with naysayers, false accusers, and even the hateful words of family and friends? Take the shield of faith, know that God will protect you, and just stand.
Is your crossroads filled with self doubt and you fear you may fall? Put on the helmet of salvation and know that you are truly saved by God's grace and just stand.
Is your crossroads filled with enemies on every hand? Carry the sword of the Spirit, the very world of God in your heart so that you might not sin and just stand.
Have you done all? Have you put on God's armor? THEN STAND!
But God did not just tell us to just stand, he told us to see, to ask, and to walk. God permitting we will speak on those things over the next few weeks. Family, I love you and look forward to seeing your comments below.
