The Ancient Paths

Thus says the Lord:

"Stand by the roads and look,

and ask for the ancient paths,

where the good way is; and walk in it,

and find rest for your souls.

But they said, "we will not walk in it,"

I set a watchman over you saying,

Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!

But they said, "We will not pay attention."

Jeremiah 6:16-17

Anytime I find the word 'rest' in scripture, my soul goes on high alert.   I have really become a very weary person: weary of striving, weary of getting it wrong, and weary of displeasing man.    I have worn myself out trying to find peace, even though I had salvation.  So what is this 'ancient path'?  What is this trumpet that I don't pay any attention to?  Have I said, "I will not pay attention."   If so, why?  Why won't I pay attention?

In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says: "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. (The Amplified Bible)   Jesus Himself is the Ancient Path.  I must choose all roads that lead to Him.  I can't get to the Father through any road but Him.  Satisfying the law on my own or satisfying the judgments of other people will not bring me to Him.  Refreshment and recreation lie in trusting Him with my transformation and with my relationships.  I don't choose this Path when it seems easier, when it seems safer to cut my own path.  When I don't pay attention to His alarm, His trumpet, it's because my own fear and pride have captured all my attention.  Lord how many times do I have to be worried and chased by enemies before I listen?  Today I chose the ancient, eternal path: You.

Father teach me the paths that lead to you: prayer, meditation, study of your word, simplicity, service, worship and love.  Forgive me when I chosen religious perfectionism (the yeast of the Pharisees) and petty addictions instead of You.   Give me the faith I need to trust the Ancient Path, Jesus.   Come deep into the center of my brokenness and comfort me in my loneliness.   I long for the 'soul rest' you promise.  I long for you.

A Prayer for the Rest-Full Life

I found this prayer in a devotional called Praying with Paul.  This prayer is based on one of my favorite passages of scripture: Hebrews 3:7-4:11.  I decided to blog it so I could find it back and make it part of my prayer cycle.  

Dear Father, I long to enter into your rest - into creative work that is effortless, into joyous activity in which there is no fatigue, into glorious  praise of which I will not tire!  Thank you for the Good News that there remains a Sabbath Rest for the people of God.  Keep me from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.   May I not focus on the glittering things of this world and lose sight of the glorious eternity that awaits me.   Let me not fall away from you through faithlessness and disobedience as did your ancient people in the wilderness wanderings.  Let no rebellion sprout in my heart against you.  May I walk steadfastly and patiently in your paths.  May I learn that to enter your rest I must surrender my will .  In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

Press into Him in prayer.  Press into him in Life!  In Him is freedom from the tiresome addictions and strivings of this world that burn up the lives of many.  In Him is a creative activity that knows no fatigue.  

A Prayer For Freedom from the False Self by Henri Nouwen

"Why do I keep relating to You as one of my many relationships, instead of my ONLY relationship, in which all other ones are grounded ? Why do I keep looking for popularity, respect from others, success, acclaim, and sensual pleasures ? Why, Lord, is it so hard for me to make You the only one ? Why do I keep hesitating to surrender myself totally to You ?

Help me, O Lord, to let my old self die, to let die the thousand big and small ways in which I am still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires. Let me be reborn in You and see through You the world in the right way, so that all my actions, words, thoughts can become a hymn of praise to You. I need Your loving grace to travel on this hard road that leads to the death of my old self and to a new life in and for You. I know and trust that this is the road to freedom. Lord, dispel my mistrust and help me become a trusting friend. Amen."

-Henri Nouwen, "A Cry for Mercy"

Wind Blown

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes, so is everyone who is born of the Spirit..   John 3:8 New King James

Jesus said, "You're not listening.  Let me say it again.  Unless a person submits to this original creation --the 'wind hovering over the water' creation,  the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life -- it's not possible to enter God's kingdom   When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch.  But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch -- the Spirit--and becomes a living spirit."  From John 3 in The Message Bible

This windblown quality of followers of Christ from this verse in John puzzled me at first. The pictures of the Spirit from The Message Bible ignited my imagination.   Everyone born of the Spirit is molded and motivated by an invisible influence to be citizens of an invisible kingdom.  This mysterious quality of those born by the Spirit can excite the curiosity of those who are not born of the Spirit.  We lay aside the agendas of modern self-help programs and religious rules and allow ourselves to blown about by the Spirit of Life.  Just as we see a leaf quiver in a summer breeze so we can see the movement of the breath of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the windblown people of God.  

Brennan Manning writes: "Though the Scriptures speak insistently of the divine initiative in the work of salvation, that by grace we are saved. That the Tremendous Lover has taken to the chase, American spirituality still seems to start with self, not with God. Personal responsibility replaces personal response.  We seem engrossed in our own efforts to grow in holiness." But Jesus taught Nicodemus that the way to this windblown life is gained by looking up to Him as the people of Israel looked up at the serpent in the desert and believed.  Real life lies in looking up at Jesus on the cross and looking at the love that nailed Him to it. Meditate and receive that love, that love that says you are enough because Jesus has made you enough.  

Jesus, resting in your love goes against my cultural and very human instincts to achieve, to work to be worthy, and to work to be noticed.  Holy Spirit show me this rest-filled, windblown lifestyle.  I struggle to comprehend it.  I long to enter into the mystery and wildness of it.  I confess I get in the way.  My desire to impress you and others-the Pride of Life-gets in the way.  My stubborn refusal to let go of shame - to  let go of the idea I can change myself - gets in the way of this windblown life.  My refusal to believe you will transform my life gets in the way.  My refusal to let go of the way my life will look to others gets in the way.  Spirit blow on me.   Blow apart the Self that gets in the way.   Leave only me and You.   Leave only Your love.  

Confessing Self-sufficiency

I found this prayer from Renovare' this morning.  Self-sufficiency is truly the enemy of rest.  I find leaving this particular "hyphenated sin" terrifying and painful to give up.   I keep asking the Holy Spirit to come into the center of my fear, so that I can leave this frantic scurry to provide for myself, relax His huge, strong arms and  watch and wait to see what He is doing.

Resting in God’s love requires that we confront our desires to be self-sufficient. It can be difficult, or even painful, to recognize our need for God, and find our sufficiency in him. Our prayer this morning is for our stubborn hearts:

Father, I am stubborn and willful. How quickly I resort to finding my own path, fighting battles on my own, and making plans without you, when all along you, Almighty God, are beside me! You are ready to make my paths straight, to fight on my behalf, and to guide me in the way you have planned if I just trust you first and above all else. Oh Heavenly Father, I long to learn true dependence, and through this, to find rest, freedom and deep peace in your sovereign care. Teach me, Lord, to be your servant.

Amen.

In addition Lord, lead me deeper into silence.  Give me the wisdom and discipline to cease complaining and otherwise manipulating people with my words.  I am determined to trust you with my reputation and my future.   May I make my home in your love today instead of my own machinations.   I love you. 

Amen

Work as Rest

For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.  But Jesus answered them,"My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."  John 5:16-17

The Pharisees defined work as activity, even walking was work.  The idea of rest was to stop doing anything, regardless of it's purpose.  Jesus' activity despite it's obvious restorative results met with persecution and plots.  Why was his violation of Sabbath law so dangerous and disturbing to him.  Jesus says he's been working all the time as His father has been working.  The work brings life. Ironically the work brings true rest and peace for those being healed.  It brings freedom from worry and striving. 

Am I ever like the Pharisee?  Do I see rest merely as ceasing activity, of keeping the rules?   Do I kill impulses to bring about restoration?  Do I see rest as striving not to do something I shouldn't?  Or do I see rest as responding to the command "Get up, take your bed and walk"?  Rest is believing your sins are forgiven, and Jesus has given you the power to walk.  The the healing and the rest are the result of faith.  The rest is in the walking.

Father, may I always rest in believing you....

Rest-Full Prayer from Richard Foster

"Jesus, when you walked among the Jerusalem crowds and in the Judean hills, you pioneered this way of living. You were always alert and alive. You lived utterly responsive to the will of the Father. Manifold demands were placed upon you, and still you walked in unhurried peace and power.

Help me to walk in your steps. Teach me to see only what you see, to say only what you say, to do only what you do. Help me, Lord, to work resting and to pray resting.

I ask this in your good and strong name. Amen."