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THINGS THAT DEREK TAUGHT ME
I have never been much of a walker.
Sure, I stroll the boardwalk occasionally, or walk through the mall or
the zoo or through one of the parks, but more out of necessity than from a
desire to walk. This past year, Donna and I have established a daily
"Constitutional". At first, we talked very little, and then mostly about
mundane matters and the weather. Eventually,
however, a pattern emerged and we would begin to talk as soon as we hit the old
bike path. Our talk now always went
to some verse or subject that one of us happened to be studying at the time.
The next logical step followed, and we began to commune with God as well
as with one another during the walk. Now
it has become a time of refreshing, a time of blessing, and a time that we
cherish and protect as precious. Many times I leave the house to begin our walk, having
nothing more than a simple verse in mind. As
we walk, and I share my thoughts with Donna, and she responds with hers, the
Holy Spirit honors this time dedicated to the Lord and gives blessed
illumination upon His Word. I must
say there have been some very exciting insights granted to us in this WAY.
Notice the title of this article, and how we use the word WAY in English.
It can be a method of doing something, as in the children's song
"this is the WAY we wash our clothes” or a path we take when we are
trying to find our WAY in the dark, or it can mean a body of belief or a pattern
of life as when Christians are referred to as "people of the WAY". I once heard a preacher talk
about the old saints who have been in the ' way ' for so long that it was time
for some of them to get out of the way and let someone make a little progress.
But I wouldn't say that. The major Hebrew word for "WAY" in the
Bible, and one which has the same versatility as the English word, is DEREK (Strong's
# 1870). To see how it is used
literally and metaphorically, one need only look at the first few occurrences in
Gen.( 3:24, 6:12, 16:7 and 18:19.)
So when I say above, "Things that Derek Taught Me", I mean
things that were solidified while taking our daily walk along the bike path,
"bike DEREK" if you
please. It is a Scriptural practice, highly recommended, first by God
Himself, then by Jeremiah the Prophet, and now by me to you. Jeremiah 6:16 says: "Thus
saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, Stand in the DEREKS, or we could say the crossroads and take a careful look. Find the old and beaten path, which in fact is the "good DEREK". This is not always a simple matter. The good way is not necessarily the one that looks the best, nor the one paved with gold, nor the widest one nor the most comfortable. It is certainly not the one that the majority of the people are traveling. Jesus said in Mat 7:13-14: " Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and again in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the
life: no man
And wise Solomon says in Prov. 16:25: "There is a way that seemeth right
unto a man, Jeremiah tells us that the result of following the good
Way is rest for the soul. How
unlike the way that Balaam followed! Balaam, who found nothing but turmoil and
disgrace is forever branded in God's holy Word for his foolishness in the
“way” he went. Read about it in
Numbers 22, how that the Angel of the
Lord stood in the DEREK, and tried to block the way of the madman. Even his dumb ass speaking by the power of God was not
sufficient to halt his downward spiral. Finally, the Angel must appear with
drawn sword to restrain him from killing the innocent animal. I have often made the comparison between the manner
in which our country applies the provisions of the Constitution of the United
States and the manner in which the Church and the people of God apply the
Scriptures. Whenever modern courts view the constitution as a document that must
be adapted to each generation, re-interpreted as it were to fit the times, we
usually see giant steps away from the foundation that made us a great nation.
Abortion, Pornography, Criminal rights in the extreme, loss of liberty to
the general population, etc. Contrariwise,
when "original intent" is adhered to, the courts tend to issue
opinions that engender law and order, peace and prosperity.
This is not because the founders were better men, nor because they were
more intelligent, but rather because they somehow found the wisdom and grace
from God to set aside their desire for immediate gain and to act in the best
interest of the future of the new nation. If you read history, you will find
that they knew very well that they were setting forth a standard that was beyond
what they themselves would normally prefer, but which standard was for the most
good of the majority. Just so, the Bible, is our standard.
The men who wrote it were inspired by God, and they "wrote better
than they knew", speaking the truth even contrary to their natural man.
To modify God's Word to fit the deviations of each generation results in
a self-serving compromise every time. The
prophets of old were faithful to record the plan of God for the well being of
His people for all generations. When
one finds this DEREK, and follows it, one also finds rest for the soul.
Jeremiah was speaking in the first instance to
Jerusalem, representing the whole of Judah.
How sad that he must end verse 6:16 with; "But they
said 'We will not walk therein' ".
But how blessed are we, not only because we have warning through the
divine record in Jeremiah, but also because we have the words of blessed Paul
the Apostle in I Cor. 10:11, again warning us
that "These
things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the ages are come."
Our heavenly Father has made abundant provision for us,
both to find the Way if we would seek Him, and to find rest for our soul if we
would allow the light of His Word to be a lamp unto our feet.
God grant you that rest. Well, its time for me to hit the bike path again.
I have a few thoughts about Psalm 40 that I want to share with Donna.
The Lord will meet us there according to Mt.
18:20. I wonder what DEREK will teach me today?
Notes: Matthew 18:20 For
where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them. |