The Old Paths-The Good Way

It's been a good day. The family is getting well. Emily came home from Texas tonight. Patrick comes home tonight for the weekend. This week was our 37th anniversary and he spent it away with work.

It warmed up enough to put a window or two open to air out the house for part of the day.

I treated myself with new rugs, curtains for the shower and window for the upstairs bathroom. Didn't buy any when we first moved in last year, and there has been no color or warmth to the room. One half the room is carpeted, and the other half has linolium. With the new purchase, it reminds me that the old linolium needs to be replaced. All it would take is a scrap, it's a small area.

I've been looking for some wallpaper and something of a splash to put into the small area of the kitchen and little dining room we have. The last time I purchased wallpaper, I did so online after having found what I wanted in some books. Was able to save about 1/2 with the purchase. Have spent far too much time looking through samples. Want something made of vinyl so it can wash easily.

Twice a year we, at our fellowship, host a ladies meeting over a long weekend, in October and in February. The first weekend of February is when it's scheduled. It's always a time of refreshing. It's not a "girly" time, actually, as with other ladies meetings I've attended over the years. We have speakers come from in and out of state, and the Spirit of God always meets us in great anointing and presence. Well, I should say that He does that every time we meet each time in our fellowship, but it does seem that we're especially blessed during these meetings. I do not take that for granted.

There is something that I've jotted down in my Bible that goes:
Speak to Him, thou, for He hears, and Spirit with spirit can meet. Closer is He than breathing and nearer than hands and feet. (Alfred Lord Tennyson)

Nearer than hands and feet....hummmmm. Mr. Tennyson must have had sweet communion with the Lord.

We need the same awareness of God's presence with and in us. I've heard the phrase "God inside minded" used over the years. I suppose that is what Mr. Tennyson was making reference to. It would do us well to remember that we really are hooked up with God. It would make a difference what we set our hands, eyes, ears and mouth to...and where we set our feet.

There's a place over in Proverbs 4 that tells us:
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

It speaks of our words, eyes, flesh, ears, our feet.
He speaks of us keeping His Word first place in our hearts, that it's our life even our good health.

He's telling us that we're to guard our hearts, because when we do, we will be speaking life and not death over ourselves and those about us.

Perverse lips is not just foul language, swearing....It's speaking those things that bring death and destruction to us.

We're admonished to look straight ahead. There is a path that we belong on. Over in Isaiah 35 we're told about the highway of holiness. We're not to choose our own path, or let even our eyelids look at another. Instruction to ponder the path of our feet, not to turn to the right or left, and remove our feet from evil.

Remember the Word telling us in Jeremiah 6:16
Thus says the Lord:
"Stand in the ways and see,
And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it;
Then you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'

We've got to ASK for the "old paths" where the good way is.

We've been hearing for some years about a "NEW way", that the old way people got saved, delivered, worship, praise isn't going to cut it for us now. Strange.

He told us that we'd find REST FOR OUR SOULS on the old paths. My goodness, which of us do not need REST for our souls?

Father, I ask You to help us to put Your Word first, remember that YOU really are as close as our hands and feet....to be mindful of your presence. I ASK YOU for the old paths, and that You help me from stepping out of them. Thank You for bringing rest to my soul while I walk in Your paths. Thank You for helping me not even to look to the right or the left, and to ponder the Paths Of Your Choosing. I choose Your Way, Your Life and health, Your safekeeping, in Jesus' Name.