Thus says the Lord, “Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths and where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16
One of the benefits of contemplative practice is that it causes us to slow down and actually stop on a regular basis. We get into the holy habit of pausing for a while and just being in the Divine Presence. This is good for our souls and the gradual unfolding of our lives.
Imagine that you are walking along a country road and you arrive at a place where two roads intersect. You stop and look in all directions. To the right and to the left. Ahead and behind. In pausing, looking and pondering, you figure out which way to go and then continue on your journey.
Jeremiah invites us to stop and go through a similar process in our prayer lives. The prophet encourages us to stop and pray that we recognize the “ancient paths, where the good way lies.”
Contemplation is an ancient path which can be trusted. By following this time tested spiritual practice of stopping and meditating, we find rest for our souls. And we gradually discern the good way God sets before us.
~ PR