♥ Standing at the Crossroads

Standing at the Crossroads

 “Stand at the crossroads and look.  Ask which paths are the old, reliable paths.  Ask which way leads to blessings.  Live that way, and find a resting place for yourselves”(Jeremiah 6:16)

You have been called to a journey.  You were extended an invitation by Jehovah-Elyon, the Lord God Most High. This trip or journey is neither a vacation nor a pleasure cruise.  The only requirement to travel under the plan of Jehovah-Elyon is to pledge your life to His and serve in His army.  There are only three things that are assured (promised): Salvation insurance; Final Destination:  Heaven; Whatever else the Biblical Guidebook provides. 

So do you want to accept the invitation?  Do you really want to accept the invitation?  Why do you want to take the journey?  Is it what’s in it for you?  Or is it because you love Johovah-Elyon so much, that you respect and admire Him so much, that you would bind yourself for life to such a God?  Or maybe you want to love this Almighty God, El Shaddai because of what you’ve heard?  Or maybe, you’ve heard the promises?  Possibly, the Family Plan is why you joined up?  After all, He really is the perfect Father?  Have you really experienced the love of the Father?  Before we start talking about getting ready for our journey, let’s get real.  We all know the “right” answer.  Most people who sign up to take Johovah-Elyon’s journey usually do—Do you love Jesus?  Yeah!  But do you feel it in the marrow?  Do you feel that love deep inside the very depths of your soul?  Is it real?

Most of us know the stories of the Bible.  We know them enough to probably give a good synopsis of what’s going on.  As a matter of fact, maybe you can quote the books of the Bible from beginning to end?  We can have the Logos of the Bible in our minds, but until God’s word becomes Rama, alive and living in our hearts, the Bible is only as useful as a Bedtime story.  When the Bible become Rama to an individual, then it becomes the most useful tool God ever provided His children.

St. Augustine in his book City of God says, “The difference is not in what people suffer but in the way they suffer”(46).  Daily, you will be traveling with people who suffer the same heartbreaks as you.  Even people booked with Standing at the Crossroads will battle difficult situations.  The only difference between your circumstances and theirs will be how you handle that circumstance and the resulting outcome. 

“Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.  Put on your garments of splender, O Jerusalem, the holy city.  The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.  Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.  Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion”(Is. 52:1-2).

            Lisa Bevere uses this passage as the cornerstone to her book Out of Control and Loving It.  In her explanation, this passage shows that we are free, but we have to act in our freedom and remove our chains, our burdens.  However, we need to take this idea one step back  Before we can remove them, we need to recognize our burdens.  Only then can we remove them.

  In the song, “I went back to the enemies camp and took back what he stole from me,” the precept that one has to realize that something has been stolen before one can take it back is the key to opening the door to one’s very future”

            Maybe you are able to say, “I haven’t cheated, done drugs, etc.  What do I have to be delivered from?”  Someone once told me about their life, how they were abused.  This person talked about how they still managed to make the “right” choices.  Yet, they were frustrated because there was no peace. 

            We can give our lives to the Lord, living according to the ways of the Lord, but still be crushed under the burden of the “sins of our fathers or mothers.”  For example, I couldn’t be delivered from my parents’ divorce, my father’s adultery until I realized that it was something from which I needed to be delivered.  Because I chose to live for the Lord, I had lifestyle choices (planting seed) that led to a better life (harvest time).  However, emotionally, I took a beating.  Proverbs shows that wise decisions can lead to a good outer life, but it takes deliverance from the Lord to make a peaceful, joyful, contented inner life.

 Society says, “It’s my cross to bear, my burden.”  Well, Jesus came so that we wouldn’t have to bear these burdens.  He says, “My yoke is easy, my burden light.”  Satan has tried to replace the Cross of Jesus, which is carrying his message, his ways, with the cross of Satan, painful burdens he hurls at us.  I was 35 years old before I was delivered from the divorce of my parents.  I couldn’t be delivered until I recognized the need for deliverance in that area.  The drug addict has the physical evidence to recognize that he or she needs deliverance in that area, as does the alcoholic.  What makes this “burden” so insidious is the unseen nature for the need to be delivered.  In a generational curse, the child doesn’t commit the sin.  The sin and its consequences are literally thrown upon the child. 

Look at it this way.  Visualize the day a child comes into the world, so pure, its skin so fresh, so soft, never yet disciplined, never yet hurt by a harsh word, so trusting, so directly from the Lord.  Now visualize someone hurling a handful of mud at that new child of the Lord, covering it with dirt, burdening it with the need to clean itself up before it has even breathed its first breath.  The sad fact is that dirt, since it has been there before it knew what it was like to be “clean”, goes unrecognized.  The “child” or even “adult” doesn’t see the dirt, but feels the effect of it in their lives.    They might make good life-style choices for the Lord, but still can’t see why there’s no peace.  Or they might just give up and say, “There’s no peace here.  I’ll try the other path.”

                        Over the past few years, I’ve seen the Lord “fester” things from my soul, as a splinter “festers” its way out of skin.  It’s not a pretty situation.  As a matter of fact, it’s pretty painful at the time.  The feeling of having that “burden”, that “impurity” taken out of you is liberating.  I’m learning that the Lord is systematically “cleaning” the impurities, the wounds, the sores from my soul.  He sees me as the perfect product.  He created me to be the perfect product.  Praise God, I’m a perfect product in progress.

            When I started my journey, I didn’t realize all the wonderful things Johovah-Eloyan had in store for me.  I didn’t even know He had plans for me, or that he loved me as much as he loves Moses, Peter, James, and John.  The more I come to know Him, the more I am learning to love Him.  It’s a relationship in progress. 

So, are you ready to start the journey?  First, look in your spiritual backpack.  Check out the contents, and discard items you didn’t place in there. You don’t have to wait until your 35 to be delivered from burdens that were not made for you or by you.  You can be delivered today.  Let’s start the journey by dumping those burdens!  How much lighter your journey will be!  Now, let’s get started!

Each session of Standing at the Crossroads will involve the following:

• personal assessment of where they are
• assessment and setting of future goals
• implementing course of action to achieve goals or “How do I get there from here.”

Standing at the Crossroads will be presented in eight sessions using the following methods of message presentation:  lecture, object lessons, journal writing:

Session 1:  Identify Place of Departure:  current location

Session 2:  Establishing Identify:  How do you see yourself now?  How do you want to see  yourself in 10 years?  Identifying future goals, dreams

Session 3:  Creating Itinerary to Destination:  How do I get there from “here.”

• Discussion of individual’s defined goals
• Discussion of choices affecting the success of those goals

Session 4:  Proper Record of Gifts:  Gift Development and Placement

Session 5:  Travel Protocol Lessons on Cultural Behavior:  Your response can make your journey delightful or devastating.  Understanding others and understanding their response to you

Session 6:  How to avoid turbulence in travel:  Travel Do’s and Don’ts

Session 7:  Geography:  Understanding God-ordained boundaries in relationships

Session 8:  Standing at the Crossroads ” Bon Voyage.”

For further questions on Standing at the Crossroads, please e-mail Maryleigh at bluecottonmemory@gmail.com