Weekly Message

Tom Seymour

November 15, 2013

The Good Way

Jeremiah 6:16

Thus says the Lord:

Stand at the crossroads, and look,

and ask for the ancient paths,

where the good way lies: and walk in it,

and find rest for your souls.

This week we continue our look at Jeremiah 6:16. We have considered the nature of “the good way.” In ancient times, the good way was the way to walk or travel safely, without encountering bandits and highwaymen. We also noted how the good way has another, more profound and important spiritual meaning.

Now let us come to the crux of the message, that being that we should walk in the spiritual good way “and find rest for our souls.”

Who wouldn’t want to find rest for his or her soul? People spend fortunes in the pursuit of finding rest for their souls. But most of this amounts to nothing more than wasted energy. Can anyone buy rest for their soul? Certainly not. And as it turns out, the harder we try to accomplish this goal, the further away we find ourselves from achieving our objective.

To get an idea of how people in this world try and find rest for their souls, just drive around and look at new houses. In mid-coast Maine where I live, monied people from all over the globe come and buy land and build houses, sometimes huge, sprawling and extravagantly- appointed houses, most of which have panoramic views of Penobscot Bay. Notice I did not call these “homes,” since a house, or structure, is not necessarily a home.

The late country philosopher Hank Williams sang a gut-wrenching song that he wrote by turning to his own unfortunate personal experiences. The tune’s title was, “A House Without Love Is Not A Home.” How right old Hank was.

But even with the knowledge of what it took to find rest for his soul on this earth, Hank failed in the quest. He died a restless soul, unhappy and lonely. His music lives on, though, and it contains many useful messages that we can profit from today. What a shame that Hank died before he could put his own soul to rest while still alive.

The idea of having a rested, or peaceful soul probably seems foreign and unattainable to many people. Societies’ demands, the “rat-race” in general and a sometimes misguided striving for material wealth combine to pressure people to discard the things that could make them truly happy and adopt that which amounts to no more than a striving for the wind. But this needn’t be.

God never said that we must eschew wealth or prosperity. He only tells us to attempt to attain it in a good way. And that good way means that we must follow his tenets, principals and terms. The author of life and creator of the universe wants for his children to prosper. And most of all, He wants for us to “walk in the good way.”

So how do we find where the good way lies? Where do we look? It’s pretty easy. Just open the bible and begin reading. The bible stands as the revealed word of God and every time we look to it, it speaks to us. For those unacquainted with the bible, let me suggest beginning with the New Testament, the accounts of the life, times and words of Jesus Christ. Then, after digesting that, turn back to the beginning and read the bible through again, from Genesis to the Revelation of Saint John.

Simply put, though, walking in the good way begins with a serious desire to do as God would have you do. I recently signed up for an identity-protection program. As soon as I put in all my personal information, I was immediately protected. It’s the same with God’s program. Sign up, and by that I mean sign up in your heart…truly seek to do good as the Lord would have you do. And then as soon as you commit yourself to that path, you are protected, because as of that moment you are walking in the good way.

Nothing could be simpler. If you haven’t already dedicated your life to God, do it now with this prayer: Lord, I know I’m a sinner. I want to change my ways and to walk in your way, the good way. I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Amen to that!