Ancient Paths ~ Part 2

        Ancient paths carved out by God are worth revisiting. They provide rest and retreat while reminding us what’s good and right—ways of the Lord. How beneficial for our lives and souls—those ancient paths!

        Yet there’s one we shun. It doesn’t draw us in like those which provide rest and restoration. Its name? The Via Dolorosa.

        “The what?” you might ask.

        Via Dolorosa—“Way of Sorrow.” This is the traditionally-believed path Jesus took to the cross. To His death.

        “What does that have to do with me?” you might ask.

        Everything.

        First of all, Jesus’ death was necessary for us to be able to receive His gift of salvation and promise of eternal life. But that very historic path symbolizes something else to those who surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.

        You see, sorrows and all that go with them will come our way. They’re unavoidable. What matters is your reaction to them. You might avoid some and may succeed, but you won’t be able to flee all of them.

        Most of us, I believe, would choose to avoid paths of sorrow, grief, pain, persecution, suffering. Yet there’s a deep truth for those who surrender and walk with Jesus—even if it leads to the death. In surrendering to even this, one becomes more Christ-like as he/she “travels the road to the cross” with Him.

        When you partake in Christ’s suffering, you risk it all for the sake of what is eternally important, knowing full-well this path isn’t only rough but seems impossible. But not impossible because you don’t walk it alone.

        I’ll be honest with you, though. If someone hung a sign overhead reading “Choose Your Ancient Path” then broke those down into different lanes, I wouldn’t get in line for the Way of Sorrows. I don’t want to hurt, grieve, be persecuted, suffer!

        But…

        If I’ve surrendered my life completely to Christ’s Lordship, how can I not choose to follow Him? It just doesn’t make sense because incomplete surrender isn’t really surrender at all. Not when conditions are attached.

        Here’s the thing: God is able to help us down the dreaded “Via Dolorosa”—that walk where we’re dragging broken bodies and wounded hearts. Where we cannot see the end or face another day. Where we’re being tormented either physically, emotionally, or both.

        To be with Christ each step of the way—even unto death—holds hope. Promise.

        How can we know this?

        Because Jesus defeated death! He arose!

        Resurrection! Hope!

         From our experience, walking with the Master on the way of sorrow, I can testify that—no, we didn’t choose to be there. Yet what we experienced on that ancient path taught us lessons we may not have ever learned otherwise. God knew we needed to walk it with His Son. And completing the journey with Him? Oh, the Hope we’re able to share with others who come along the way!

        God knows best. Despite how awful our circumstances might look and feel, the Savior promises hope and a future! Planned before the foundations of the world, He already knows the paths’ twists and turns, the ones we need to take, the ones we will take.

        So, whether you find yourself shunning the Way or choosing to walk with Him on it, know that God already knows the beginning from the end—just like He did when He walked the Via Dolorosa. He didn’t want to die such a beyond-horrific death, but he desired to follow His Father’s will, and He knew ahead of time His death would lead to Resurrection.

        All this for the love of us who may or may not choose to walk with Him! All for love of us no matter what but wanting us to join Him so no one need perish. For walking with Jesus assures us of Hope, even if it means suffering beyond what we think we can endure.

        I still find myself wanting sorrow’s way removed from me. But if it’s needful and best with eternity in mind, I know God walks with me every step of the way. And His Holy Spirit stays with me until I reach Eternity.

        But what about revisiting this difficult path—one that can even mean death? What benefit is there in going back?

        I’ve wondered that as I’m writing, and here are thoughts that crossed my mind when I think of revisiting our way of sorrows.

1)     I’m grateful to the Savior for walking with us and leading.

2)     God, in His infinite wisdom and knowing, did not err in allowing us to walk that road.

3)     The choice of being bitter or getting better from the experience was mine. (For a long time, I admit, I was bitter; but now I am better. It took me decades.)

4)     What I learned while traveling that way I can use to minister to others who are on that path now and need help and encouragement.

5)     In facing death—real or what seems like that—I know for sure this is followed by resurrection when traveling the way, fully committed to the Savior.

6)     Revisiting this ancient path helps me see God ever so clearly in and through it all.

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

 

All the way my Savior leads me. What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who thru’ life has been my Guide?

Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

 

All the way my Savior leads me, cheers each winding path I tread;

Gives me grace for ev’ry trial, feeds me with the living Bread.

Tho’ my weary steps may falter, and my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me, lo! A spring of joy I see.

 

All the way my Savior leads me; Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised—In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, cloth’d immortal, wings its flight to realms of day

This my song thru’ endless ages: Jesus led me all the way.

 

(written by Fanny Crosby, 1875, public domain)

 

        The previous and following songs ministered to my heart. I hope they bless you who’ve committed your steps to the Lord, are on the way of sorrow, or are now revisiting it. Remember: Hope holds your hand from the first step to the very end of life’s journey.

 

Via Dolorosa by Billy Sprague & Niles Borop, 1983

(sung here by Theresa Yow-Black)

Via Dolorosa - Acoustic

Lead Me to Calvary by Jennie Evelyn Hussey, 1921

(sung here by Evie Tornquist Karlsson)

EVIE - LEAD ME TO CALVARY

 

I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked by Daniel Twohig, 1920s

(sung here by George Beverly Shea)

I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked

 

#ancientpaths #ViaDolorosa #wayofsorrows #suffering #grief #pain #death

#Jesuscrucifiction #Resurrection #hope

Disclaimer—

I am not a counselor. What I shared in this blog post comes from our own life experiences and what I’ve gleaned from them.

Photo Credit: Via Dolorosa—Pinterest; Jesus on the Via Dolorosa—pixabay.com; Resurrection scene—dreamsline.com

Ancient Paths ~ Part 1

        Since we’ve left the old year behind and entered a new one, we look forward. Right?

        But what about looking back? Should we? Seems so when we travel back to biblical Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s time and see what was going on there.

        No wonder this man was known as “the weeping prophet” as he witnessed the Jewish people repeatedly turning against God. And how many chapters in the Book of Jeremiah does God say He will discipline them but not utterly destroy them?

        But the people fail to heed God’s Words via Jeremiah. Still by Chapter 6 & Verse 16 God gives these ones who are so precious to Him (yet outright disobedient) excellent guidance.

Thus says the LORD: “‘Stand by the ways and see

and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it;

And you will find rest for your souls.’”

 

        Ancient paths. Ways known to the people. Traveled before the time they turned their backs and hearts away from God. Had they forgotten how He guided them? Showed them right from wrong? Rescued them? Met them in worship? Gave rest in their utter weariness?

 

        Yes, they did. Still, in looking back and beckoning them to embrace the old paths—the former ways—God had good for them, rest, restoration, spiritual renewal, and the promise that this return would benefit them in the very best way possible.

        Further on in Jeremiah, the Lord again expresses the desire of His Heart—for His people to return to the ancient paths.

        There are other times in God’s Word where He told the Jewish people to, for example, build an altar that would actually end up under water but serve as a remembrance—a looking back—how God led them, saved them from drowning, carried them forward.

        Our very patient God didn’t give up! He doesn’t quit on us. And He won’t give up on you either.

        Look for the “ancient paths,” dear readers! They will remind you, encourage you, bolster your faith, provide rest and refuge for your soul!

        The ancient paths are where we met good, laid the cornerstone of our faith, learned morals, understood the importance of godliness, and embraced God’s guidance—paths that are still there for our return, if we just remember and backtrack.

         In contemplating this call for us to return, I consider the path our world is on. Our nation, in particular, as we celebrate this 250^th anniversary of our birth.

        Our forefathers prayed over this United States of America—a covenant nation, founded on God and His Ways. If it were possible for them to “turn in their graves,” I’m sure they’d be doing so now—for we’ve neglected the old path they carved out for us, clearing the way to build this great nation’s foundation on God—just like the Jewish people in Jeremiah’s time did. No mistaking their rebellion, as they state at the close of Jeremiah 6:16:

But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

        Talk about gall! Can you even comprehend facing God (which is what they were doing through the prophet who spoke for Him) and raising a verbal fist to His Face???    

          Oh wait. Yes, we can imagine it. Sounds familiar. If any of you’ve watched the news lately, there are great crowds of people standing against In-God-We-Trust. What a tragedy that this is the state of so many in our nation—our “under God” covenant country.

         How did this happen? The people forgot the old paths (or choose not to return to them), disregarded the teachings they might have learned there (or weren’t taught), rejected God’s guidance in exchange for their own sinful ways (even embracing “false gods” instead).

        There is Hope, though! There always is. For God is still beckoning His creations to visit the ancient paths—urging them to spend time there, rest in Him, and heed to the guidance of the One Who leads the way onward.

           Oh, that we of this nation will turn back, seek and find the old ways, and carry those with us as we move forward onto the path lying before us!

        And, oh, that we who claim to love the Lord with all our hearts will not neglect what we learned and experienced from our times on the ancient paths as we travel onward!

Show Us the Ancient Paths (by Tom Inglis)

Show Us The Ancient Path - Tom Inglis

#ancientpaths #Godleading #Godshowstheway #rebellion #Jeremiah #weepingprophet

#UnitedStates #covenantnation

 

*NASB /  Photo credit: aninspiredpencil.com