The Old Paths

I like the old paths: When moms were at home, dads were at work, brothers went into the army and sisters got married BEFORE having children! Crime did not pay, hard work did and people knew the difference. Moms could cook, dads would work, children would behave, husbands were loving, wives were supportive and children were polite. Women wore the jewelry and men wore the pants. Women looked like ladies and men looked like gentlemen and children looked decent. People loved the truth and hated a lie. People came to church for more than funerals. Hymns sounded Godly, sermons sounded helpful, rejoicing sounded normal and crying sounded sincere. Cursing was wicked, drinking was evil and divorce was unthinkable. The flag was honored, America was beautiful and God was welcome! We read the Bible in public, prayed in school and preached from house to house. To be called an American was worth dying for, to be a Christian was worth living for, to be called a traitor was a shame! Sex was a personal word, homosexual was an unheard of word and abortion was an illegal word. Off-colored jokes were only told among “dirty” men folk. Preachers preached because they had the VICTORY! Preachers preached the Bible, singers sang from the heart and sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED! A new birth meant a new life, salvation meant a changed life, and following Christ led to eternal life. Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God, being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord, being a Christian meant your would live for the Lord and being a sinner meant someone was praying for you. Laws were based on the Bible; homes read the Bible and churches taught the Bible. Preachers were more interested in new converts than new clothes and new cars. God was worshipped, Christ was exalted and the Holy Spirit was respected. Church is where you found Christians on the Lord’s Day, rather than in the garden, on the creek bank, on the golf course, or being entertained somewhere else. I still like the old paths best!

[Psalm 14:1 & 53:1] “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” There was a time when men of wisdom looked into heaven and counted the stars. They said, “There are two thousand, and only two thousand stars!” They lacked the tools that would have opened their eyes to the expanse of the universe and its thousands upon thousands of stars. There was an age when men of medicine believed that illness was caused by humor or fog or perhaps even witches. The world of the microbe and virus was not known nor seen and yet it existed. They lacked the tools to see beyond their limited vision. Men of learning would often bleed a patient to remove disease. They did not know the life that was in the blood and thousands died from the treatment they offered. Things they could not see would often kill. Doctors carried death from one patient to another simply because they did not wash their hands. They denied the finding of one doctor who said and proved that their actions were taking lives. Again, the psalmist said, “The fool has said in his heart ‘There is no God.’” As in the past we tend to deny what we cannot see. Believe what is later proven to be false. Look into heaven and count the stars again, examine the hidden world of the microbe. Is it possible you could be wrong - about God? “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 in your souls...’” (Jeremiah 6:16). God loves you!