Standing by the Road

“Thus says the Lord: ’Stand by the roads, and look,  and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” Jeremiah 6:16

Last week my blog Fighting and Finding Rest looked at Jeremiah 6:16. Over the next few weeks let’s take a deeper look at some of the key verbs in this verse encouraging us to find rest. This week let’s look at the verb “Stand.” 

Jeremiah speaks to the Israelites this command from the Lord, “Stand by the roads…” This phrase already has me squirming with discomfort because I just want to move, go somewhere. The thought of standing by the road and waiting sounds painful.

For me, in Kansas, the only time I’m really standing by a road is when I go running. Most people drive places. It’s not like big cities where everyone walks everywhere or waits on a curb for a cab or public transportation. Standing by the road in Kansas means I’m looking out at that far-reaching flat road with the sun rising or setting; my soul and body want to run as far as I can see. There’s no standing and waiting. Just go.

When I was in NYC this past year I grew accustomed to approaching a street corner with a Don’t Walk sign, only to see the locals looking both directions and crossing anyways. They stand by the road very briefly, anxiously edging their way off the curb and toeing the line of traffic driving past. This “standing by the road” looks very different from my wide open spaces but people have the same itch. Just go.

No wonder our souls are restless. We’re always looking and longing to go forward whether we’re ready to or not. The Israelites were the same way. Jeremiah kept warning them of all the blessings the Lord wanted for them. He had their best interest in mind. Yet, when they heard phrases like, “stand by the roads…” their response was defiant. No, we will go our own way in our own time.

As humans, we do the same. Even if we stand by the road we’re always wanting what’s next, or what others have that we don’t. We so desperately want to jump out into the lane of traffic and go with everyone else before we’re called to move. We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it.

This may look like the high schooler ready to move on, get a job, start career training, or go to college. The dating couple edging their way to engagement and toeing the line of marriage, ready to be whisked off to the future of choosing paint colors and having kids. The couple with fertility battles; they just want that pregnancy now. The person ready to lose weight, wanting to jump in the lane of the fastest diet or having the perfect bikini body already. The athlete wanting the faster time, a new record, or another win. The person ready to move to a bigger house or a better city.

It is hard to stand by the road and not jump at chasing what we want in our own timing.

Standing requires a patience, discipline, self-assurance, and maturity we often skip. Our feet firmly planted, we might be in the way. Others walk around us. We slow them down as they grow agitated with our lack of movement, not matching the rhythm of everyone else. We stand out as different, or odd. People question and wonder why we’re merely standing when we should be briskly walking, according to society’s standards.

Maturity is when we can stand by the road, know our own dreams and goals, yet wait for the Lord’s timing. It will prepare us for what lies ahead. He knows what he is doing.

What road is he asking you to stand by? How is he calling you to stillness in life? This is the very calling preparing you for the future. This is the very calling that begins the journey of rest in your soul. At some point, he will call you to move, but not yet.

Picture via Pixabay