Hello Tab Family,
This week, I have been meditating on the re-ordering of our lives according to God’s design. Our world is groaning, it’s brewing in chaos. The evidence of spiraling to the “point of no return” seems to be pervading us from all angles. How do we respond? What can we possibly do?
Jeremiah 6:16
“Thus says the Lord:
Stand at the crossroads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.”
There are several points in this brief scripture that are quite profound. The word of the Lord comes to the prophet in the midst of a similar cultural context, a horrible invasion. The Lord says to “Stand at the crossroads, and look.” Our lives are at a crossroads, the church is at a crossroads. We must look and be aware, much like the sons of Issachar (1 Chr. 12:32) who were wise in the discernment of the times.
Secondly, the Lord instructs the prophet to “ask for the ancient paths.” This seems odd to us, considering this was spoken in ancient times. Jeremiah would have practiced much the same ancient ways as Jews have maintained throughout the millennia.
Consider with me what many call the “7 Ancient Disciplines,” and what the integration of these may order in our lives. These 7 disciplines can be divided into two categories that govern the major aspects of our lives, our body and time:
Govern The Work & Pleasures Of Our Body:
1 - Tithing (the seed of 10%)
2 - Fasting (Prayer and fasting seasons)
3 - Sacred Meal (Communion, Shabbat)
Govern, Monitor & Sacramentalize Time:
4 - Fixed-Hour Prayer (daily time with the Lord)
5 - Keep The Sabbath (day of rest and devotion)
6 - Observe The Liturgical Year (Biblical Calendar)
7 – Pilgrimage (spiritual journey, growth and pursuit)
I challenge you today to investigate and incorporate these Biblical practices, these Ancient Disciplines, into your lifestyle and life flow of your family. The Lord identifies ancient paths as “where the good way lies” and commands the prophet to walk in these. These 7 ancient disciplines are a significant part of this picture. The result of following this ancient path is to “find rest for your souls.”
In the midst of this utter chaos and seemingly hopeless cultural backdrop, God is raising up a Biblically rooted people with Jerusalem as our home. This is a life of devotion to Christ’s ways and heart, which is rooted in the same ancient pathways that Jeremiah was commanded to find. May we be a remnant people whose lives are ordered according to the kingdom of God, and governing force of Christ as our head.
In His Name,
Pastor Aimee Reid-Sych