Crossroads

When you are at a crossroads, the Lord tells Jeremiah to first stop, and look around. Ask for the old, godly way and walk in it. Travel its path and you will find rest for your souls (Jerimiah 6:16 NLT). These junctures that emanate from life decisions are called crossroads, and these turning points can affect the rest of your life.  

One of life’s biggest crossroads comes when you have to make a decision about which career path to pursue, or when an opportunity arises do you take the opportunity?  Do you prioritize job stability over income potential? Do you value an optimal work-life balance? Do you make a decision for earning the highest for your family? Or do you provide for your family by giving them the most of your time? The result of these decisions come at a cost, but also a reward. And there is a way to discern which reward will align with God’s will. 

First you must tap into God’s Wisdom and see what He is saying. He will speak to you by His Word. Ancient Israel was at a crossroads concerning whether to trust in themselves, or trust in the Lord. We have the same dilemma when we think we can decide for ourselves versus tapping into God’s wisdom. We want to lean into what God is saying because he sees the whole picture before you do, and he knows what is best. 

Look around you; you never want to charge across the railroad tracks or be hasty in your decision making. Ask for the old godly way and pray together as a couple and walk out how the Lord directs. God’s spirit will always lead a couple into unity. In prayer, surrender your decision to the Lord, ask him to open and close doors, provide for the family financially, and give you an inner sense of peace and confidence with grace. 

If you believe God is speaking to you, stop at the crossroads and look around, and the promise is when you travel the path that he illuminates for you, you will find rest in your soul. Peace is what we are all after, and the inner confidence that we are walking in harmony with God’s will for our lives. 

One of the big transitions is education and career. It has been said that one of the generational differences is that our grandparents worked one job for 40 years whereas Gen Z may work 40 jobs in one year. The world has changed. The good news is that God hasn’t. He is still guiding His children.

Consider this great crossroads verse: This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way and walk in it. Travel its path and you will find rest for your souls (Jerimiah 6:16 NLT).

Our dear daughter is at a crossroads. She has recently been considering two graduate programs, an MBA and Public Health. What should she decide? How should she decide? Why take on either? What would the Jeremiah verse say to her?

The first thing to consider is that the Lord loves to speak to His children by His Word.  This is what the Lord says. Ancient Israel was at a crossroads concerning whether they were going to trust in themselves or put their trust in the Lord. We have the same dilemma of whether we think we can decide for ourself what is best or tap into God’s wisdom. 

 So we want to lean into what God is saying to us since He sees the whole situation and knows what is best.

Secondly we are called to stop at the crossroads and look around. We don’t ever want to charge across the railroad tracks, neither do we want to be hasty in our decision making. It is a big decision that will  influence her career and her family. Margaret has worked in her professional life as a dentist, first in the Army and now in private practice.

Since she is stopped at the crossroads, where should she look around? She should consider her interests. She would not like to own her own dental practice, so the MBA would not potentially  benefit her career. She does love to learn. . She could bring her dentist experience to the public health field and address global issues. She and her ex Green Beret husband have a kingdom mindset to go where the Lord leads and opens the door.

She should look to the Lord to try as best she and her husband can to discern the will of the Lord. They have a daughter and they want to be as involved in her life as much as possible. Margaret herself was a swimmer; Elsie loves to swim: swim teams practice early; if she is using the early mornings to study for her MBA, she won’t be as available to her daughter.

The third thing is to ask for the old, godly way and walk in it. The old godly way involves praying about the decision together as a couple and then walking out how the Lord directs. God’s Spirit will always lead a couple into unity. In prayer, they will be able to surrender the decision to the Lord,  asking Him to open and close doors, to provide for them financially, to give them an inner sense of peace and confidence and give them grace.

The fourth thing is a promise. If they  believe that God is speaking to them, if they stop at crossroads and look around, if they ask for the old godly way and walk in it, the promise is when you travel that path they will find rest for their souls. Peace is what we are all after, the inner confidence that we are walking in harmony with God’s will for our lives.