The Good Way (9-20-10)

Jeremiah 6:16 – “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. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.”'

That last part that says, “And you will find rest for your souls.” is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 11:29. In that verse and the verses around it Jesus was telling those who are weary and heavy laden to take His yoke upon them. This verse in Jeremiah is talking about asking for and walking in 'the way' and finding rest for your souls. I wrote about this a couple of days ago, but just to add to it, Jesus is the way. In Matthew 11:28-30 when He said, "Come to Me." He was saying the same thing Jeremiah 6:16 says. We are invited by God to walk in the way. Jesus invites us to come to Him. He is the good way, but the last part of that verse says, 'But they said, “We will not walk in it.”
In Jeremiah 5:4-5 it says, - “Then I said, "They are only the poor, They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD or the ordinance of their God. “I will go to the great And will speak to them, For they know the way of the LORD And the ordinance of their God " But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke And burst the bonds.”
Everyone is invited to walk in the good way, and take His yoke, but it says here that even knowing the way of the Lord they have broken the yoke and burst the bonds. Why would anyone refuse to walk in the good way? Why would anyone, when offered the easy yoke and the light burden, chose rather to  break the yoke than take it upon them? Proverbs 14:12 tells us – “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” This goes back to the broad way and the narrow way. The broad way seems right but it ends in death. Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths" God said in Deuteronomy 4:29 - “If you seek Me you will find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart.” If anyone is looking for and asking for 'the ancient paths, where the good way is, God will reveal it to them. And once they find it they need to walk in it. Once we start down the way we need to continue in it. It's not enough to just know where it is. We need to walk in it, and we will find rest for our souls.

Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."