Stuck At The Crossroads?

Jeremiah 6:16-18

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken”.

“Stand you in the ways, and see”, the root meaning says ‘stand at the cross roads and look’

Every person sometimes comes to a crossroads in life (a fork in the road).

A crossroads or junction is a place where you need to make a decision. One road leads one way, another road leads somewhere entirely different. And once you choose the road to move on, the direction of your journey changes, for better or for worse!

We face the crossroads in life very often in the following areas. God says, we need to stop there and look. That means, ask for guidance from God. We do not know what is waiting for us on the way forward in future. Only God knows. Make sure He is guiding us.

A decision about relationships- Our life is centred in relationships. Only humans have relations. But we must not allow our relations to ride our life. Every relationship has its own place. None of them should be guiding our life’s purpose. When important decisions are taken, we must be conscious about the effect of our decisions in our relations- but when it comes to our spiritual life- God and His Word has prime importance.

Matthew 10:37-39

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;”

A decision about integrity- All of us value our personal integrity. When we have to give up our personal rights and gains in order to move on with God' calling over our life- that’s a crossroads to choose the right way.

A decision about faith- This is a major area. This is where many are compromising. Our calling is personal. Abraham was called, Sarah had to follow. It’s the case with everyone. The light everyone receives is different. Moving forward is totally one’s own decision.

A decision about the direction of your life- We must make it a practice that whenever we are required to make a decision-small or big- speak to God first.

Provers 3:6

“in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”.

The nation of Judah was stuck at such a crossroads when God spoke through His prophet Jeremiah.

The people had wandered far from God. Idolatry, injustice, and spiritual corruption had spread throughout the land. Yet in the middle of this spiritual decline, God was so compassionate that He did something remarkable.

He called His people to stop, repent, and return.

Many of us are standing at the crossroads now and the words God spoke then still speak powerfully today.

1. God Calls Us to Pause and Examine Our Direction

“Stand at the crossroads and look…” (Jeremiah 6:16)

God is asking His people to be patient. Not to act in a hurry. Wait on Him!

God is telling His people to stop moving forward blindly.

Many people are rushing through life without stopping to evaluate where their choices are leading them to. They see only the present time, they are very short sighted and are impressed about the momentary success and benefits. It’s like trapping a bird by showing food. The bird sees only the food, not the trap. Most of the believers are trapped by the devil through offering worldly success and momentary pleasures!

Even our Lord Jesus was tempted when He was on this earth. Devil approached Him and offered Him everything of this world.

Matthew 4:1-11 / Luke 4:1-13

We are so busy trying to win something in this world which has no eternal value. We leave all those hard earned things behind when we leave this earth. What a waste?

Busy with day to day work

Busy with commitments

Busy with distractions

But rarely do we pause to ask:

“Where is my life actually going?”

Ephesians 5:15-16

“Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”…

Imagine someone driving late at night on a long road and coming to a crossroads. They continue driving mile after mile without pausing at the junction checking their map or asking guidance from someone there. Eventually they may realize they are hundreds of miles away from where they intended to go.

Spiritually, many people are doing the same thing.

Proverbs 14:12

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death”.