The Old Path

After being led on a three-day fast, I spent the night seeking guidance from the Lord through the scriptures. I was eager to receive any message or insight from Him following the completion of those days. As I delved into the Word of God, a familiar scripture caught my attention, and I felt that it held a special significance for me at that moment.

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.” (Jer 6:16)

I spent some time meditating on this scripture before going to bed for the night. The question lingered: “Did He truly intend for us to ask for the ancient path?”

After doing some word searches, I found that when He said ask, He was literally saying ask, desire, enquire, and earnestly request. Before I fell asleep, I prayed, “God, I ask You for the old path. Please give me the old path and reveal that path to me.” I dozed off.

When my eyes opened the following morning, the first thing I heard was a loud and clear scripture.

Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ (Joel 3:10)

Upon waking up and preparing for work, I checked my emails and was delighted to find a message from Diane, a dedicated partner of our ministry. In her email, Diane shared an enlightening article by Shirley Weaver. In her short but thought-provoking piece, she conveyed a profound message confirming what God was saying to me. Here is a portion of her writing.

One more thing. While it is true that scripture is meaningful when read, studied, recited, referenced, etc., words of Scripture are not iconic or magical just because we strategically place, engrave, or display them. The greatest expression for the human heart—the greatest impact on thought and meditation to conform a person’s life to His will—comes when we speak as He has spoken, when we say what He has said, and the spirit-heart “hears that sound, those words, that voice.

Wow. Confirmation indeed.

In the beginning, God spoke the world into existence. Every single thing we see today was created out of nothing but the words coming out of God’s mouth.

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” And it was so.

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear,” and it was so. And on and on in Genesis 1, we read what God said, and it was so.

Now, let’s look at the New Testament. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3) Without Him (the Word of God) nothing was made.

Could it be that simple? Could it be that THIS (speaking the Word of God) is the old path, where the good way is? It was undoubtedly God’s path. It was the path before sin, before separation from God, before death entered into the world. It was His path, and God does not change.

During those three days, when I was miserable and hungry, the Lord kept speaking one phrase to me: “You won’t regret it.” I tell you the truth, there is nothing I dislike more than fasting. However, I felt God had something to say to me, and I needed to separate myself to hear it. While it is certainly not anything new, it is quite profound, don’t you think?

My friend, are you speaking the Word of God daily? When you feel weak, are you saying you are weak or declaring you are strong? When you lack, are you complaining about that lack or declaring, “All my needs are met according to His riches in glory?” Are you saying, “I am healed amid the pain?”  Exactly what is being created by YOUR words? God spoke into the darkness, and it left; light flooded the atmosphere. We have the same power and authority. Can we change our world the same way God did? I believe so. I believe it may truly be the old path – where the good way is – there, and there alone, we find rest for our soul. Ask for the old path today.