Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Monday, 14 July 2014 "Where is the good way?"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Monday, 14 July 2014 "Where is the good way?"
Daily Scripture:  Jeremiah 6:13-15 “Everyone’s after the dishonest dollar,
    little people and big people alike.
Prophets and priests and everyone in between
    twist words and doctor truth.
My people are broken—shattered!—
    and they put on Band-Aids,
Saying, ‘It’s not so bad. You’ll be just fine.’
    But things are not ‘just fine’!
Do you suppose they are embarrassed
    over this outrage?
No, they have no shame.
    They don’t even know how to blush.
There’s no hope for them. They’ve hit bottom
    and there’s no getting up.
As far as I’m concerned,
    they’re finished.”
        God has spoken.
Death Is on the Prowl
16-20 God’s Message yet again:
“Go stand at the crossroads and look around.
    Ask for directions to the old road,
The tried-and-true road. Then take it.
    Discover the right route for your souls.
But they said, ‘Nothing doing.
    We aren’t going that way.’
I even provided watchmen for them
    to warn them, to set off the alarm.
But the people said, ‘It’s a false alarm.
    It doesn’t concern us.’
And so I’m calling in the nations as witnesses:
    ‘Watch, witnesses, what happens to them!’
And, ‘Pay attention, Earth!
    Don’t miss these bulletins.’
I’m visiting catastrophe on this people, the end result
    of the games they’ve been playing with me.
They’ve ignored everything I’ve said,
    had nothing but contempt for my teaching.
What would I want with incense brought in from Sheba,
    rare spices from exotic places?
Your burnt sacrifices in worship give me no pleasure.
    Your religious rituals mean nothing to me.”
Reflection Questions:
The nation of Israel was at a crossroads. Jeremiah said their materialistic, self-serving ways were leading steadily to judgment. Both prophet and priest ignored their deep-seated moral trouble: "'All is well, all is well,' they insist, when in fact nothing is well." "Look for the good way," he pleaded. Find that, and "then walk in it and find a resting place for yourselves."
Think about a couple of times when you stood at a life crossroad, needing to choose whether to follow a path that would draw you closer to God's purposes for you or one that led in a different direction. What helped you to choose the path that followed God's purposes? Or, if you didn't choose that, what later drew you back to God's path for your life?
Are there any places in your life right now where you are at a crossroad? If so, how are you applying lessons from your past to help you find "the good way" in this situation? In what ways can you draw on wisdom from your church, your friends, your family and the Bible to help you make the best possible choice?
Today's Prayer:
God, you have vastly clearer vision and understanding than I do on my own. Guide me, that at every crossroads of my life I may make choices that lead to your good way for me. Amen.
CROSSROADS-Navigating the Second Half of Your Life
Pastor Clayton Smith and Dave Wilson wrote the interviews featured in this week’s Insights blog. The full stories will be published in an upcoming book: Journey to Significance, to be published by Beacon Hill in early 2015
Like most people entering retirement or the second half of life, Dave faced decisions about how he would spend his time. Dave loves to play golf, do do-it-yourself projects, and spend time with his wife and grandkids—all great leisure choices. Dave is also a Congregational Care Minister and Disciple Bible Leader. So the question for him is, with all those choices, how will he decide how to spend his time?
Joshua 24:15 asked us to decide whom we will serve. Joshua’s answer was, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Dave realized that if he chose too much leisure, he might lose his focus on people. If he did not keep up his level of exercise and activity, he might lose his health. If he chose to serve, then he most probably would gain new relationships, bringing new blessings to others as well as himself.
Choosing to lead a balanced life, with serving as well as other pursuits, has proved to be a great choice for Dave. Today he is teaching and leading two Bible studies, serving in Congregational Care, and helping start Resurrection’s new Crossroads Ministry to help others transition into the second half of life with significance.
Return to the GPS Guide to read today’s scripture and reflection questions.
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