The Ancient Path
This is what the LORD Says, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
Back in 2014, my husband and I found ourselves in an unfamiliar place with God after leaving church and fighting our way out of a toxic environment.
As a result, we pulled ourselves away from almost everyone we knew.
We had no plans of returning to the land of the living anytime soon.
We had just bought our first house and felt like we were “starting over” in many areas of life.
Desperate to reconnect with God, we spent time in our brand-new house meditating on His word in prayer.
He and I felt like we were spiraling further away from God’s presence and knew we had to do something drastically different.
My husband said, let’s pray and then spend time learning how to “listen.”
The Ancient Path of Wisdom
As a kid, I had always been a little afraid of silence.
It’s hard to imagine myself feeling that way now, but this was the reality for most of my childhood and young adult life.
I was the teenager who turned the music up really loud in my bedroom to drown out the noise in my mind.
Always trying desperately to hide from the awareness of God, my thoughts, and my parents fighting.
But when things became overwhelming and out of control, I would try talking to God again with my fingers crossed, hoping he would answer.
This constant pattern felt normal to me as a kid.
Because I had no understanding of how a healthy relationship worked, this exchange seemed to fit into my not so normal everyday life.
Despite the dysfunction in our relationship, peace always came over me when I finally talked to Jesus.
Having Him in my life brought deep comfort in the chaos until I wanted to be a typical teenager again.
Then my solution was to drown out his voice to eliminate the nagging guilt I felt.
Distinguishing the voice of God from the voice of religion would have ended my ongoing cycle of guilt and confusion.
And by the time I reached my early forties, that discernment still hadn’t fully developed.
Therefore, that familiar wave of fear still came over me at the thought of being too quiet.
Regardless of that fear, listening to the ominous silence was exactly what we did that day. And as a result, something totally unexpected happened.
It was the first time the spirit of God was truly able to open a dialogue with me, and it changed my entire world…
First, I saw the words Ancient Path in my mind, almost like a picture.
Then I heard Him speak!
He said, "You’re going to need to RELEARN everything you think you know about me."
I was shaken to my core that day and filled with absolute wonder at what had happened.
The Ancient Paths of Possibility
After this encounter with God, everything changed.
I had a revelation about God's truth and the realms of possibility.
What I once believed about his truth was merely a flawed understanding intentionally designed to separate me from his love.
When I began taking Him at His word, the truth became clear.
There was a distinct difference between today’s church and the authenticity of the new testament church.
Where were the miracles, signs, and wonders?
Healing the sick and casting out spirits?
Where was that same transforming love and power?
Throughout scripture God talks about wanting his people to be blessed and prosper.
But this very concept is condemned by many religious people in the church.
These are the things that didn’t add up for me.
And why wasn’t the church teaching us how to do what Jesus did?
He said we would do even greater things.
As I started to test the fruit of what I had learned after leaving church, things became less confusing as I began seeing scripture in a new light.
I had to be painfully honest with myself and ask the hard questions:
Why was it so hard to hear God if He still speaks?
Of course, my first thought was, He must not speak to people now the way he did back then.
But what I discovered was profound…
The Ancient Path of Divine Power
I like how the late Derek Prince described it best,
“All true, God-centered religion ALWAYS receives the supernatural testimony of the divine approval. If it is lacking, we had better ask why, because God has promised to honor the truth with supernatural manifestation, and He always has, all through the history of scripture.”
What an incredible eye-opening revelation that was for me.
There it was, right in front of me.
Something never felt quite right because my discernment had kicked in.
Everywhere Jesus or the disciples ministered to people, the supernatural divine approval followed them.
After His ministry was finished here, he said that One was coming who would give us the power to do all that He had done and better.
God’s promises concerning His side of this covenant are so great there are too many to list here.
As a reference, check the books of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Psalms.
Not to mention the Hebrew scriptures that Jesus taught say so much concerning prosperity, love, and grace.
But the church let flashy evangelists and a misguided *prosperity gospel* force them to remove its true meaning in the scriptures.
When we listen to His voice alone, we see that the God of scripture looks different from the God taught in many pulpits.
After leaving church I was taken on a journey that challenged religious ideologies and faithless reasoning established through a shame and performance-based faith.
He continued pulling out all the unhealthy roots deep within my belief system.
I discovered it was okay to be happy and not partake in shame and self-condemnation.
Being set free from toxic beliefs happened after stepping away from many traditions that had become my safe place.
Unknowingly replacing authentic relationship with God, rather than seeking the truth that only comes from his word paired with intimacy.
Here are a few daily tips that have helped me learn how to yield to His spirit and break free from religious practices.
1.) Start writing in a daily journal. Grab a pen and paper and just start talking to him. As you cultivate that relationship, you’ll learn how to begin listening like you would with your best friend. Stop believing that He doesn’t have anything to say to you. He’s always looking for an opportunity to be with you, and He’s NOT angry that you haven’t done this yet. Just get started.
2.) Write down some things God says about you in His word. Has He made you any promises or given you dreams for your life that haven’t come to pass yet? Write it in your journal and read them out loud every morning.
3.) Accept that you have great value in Heaven and must press in for your promises. You're not being presumptuous. God speaks about you in His word. If He promised you something, come into agreement with that promise. No matter how long it takes. (2 Chronicles 15:7)
Remember not to approach His throne of grace as someone he dislikes or despises. You can freely come as one who is loved and forgiven. He chooses to not remember your sin anymore. That was His promise to you.
Don’t take on shame because of a religious lie you were told. Jesus bought and paid for you at a very high price. You have more value in His kingdom than you may realize. No matter what you did or where you came from.
Invite the Spirit of truth to start a dialog with you. Stand at the crossroads and ask for the ancient path of possibilities.
Remember, you ARE the church. Leaving church doesn't mean that God has left you.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7)
