JAN 31

Jeremiah 6:16
Memorise Jeremiah 6:16
“there is much to learn from the reformers”

Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet as he prophesied in a time of great sin and judgment on God’s chosen people. Here he is speaking against the false prophets and priests who had told the people, “peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:13-14). Jeremiah tells the people how God wants them to discern if these prophets are false so that they will not blindly follow them. God says, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls”. This gives a picture of someone standing at a junction looking to see which path is the right one he should take. God says he should look back to the old paths that he has walked and follow the path that is similar to the tried and proven paths. God wants the people to judge what a prophet says against what they previously knew about God through past prophets and men of God. In other words, God wants them to search Holy Scriptures to validate what these prophets say, and judge whether they are truly speaking the Word of God.

This is exactly what the Reformers did during the Protestant Reformation. They went back to God’s Word and realised that the Roman Catholic Church was not following the right “path”. We too need to look at the “old paths” to discern the times. We need to look at God’s Word in depth. We need to look at church history to learn what is the right way and what errors we should avoid. The Reformation was truly an event orchestrated by God. The spirit and theology from that period were rich and pure. The Church at that Spirit-filled time was alive and zealous for God. Apostasy was actively preached against; the Bible was fervently studied and expounded to the believers. Since then, there has not been a revival of such magnitude in the Church. To study Reformed Theology will indeed bring great satisfaction and “rest for [our] souls”. Therefore, do not look at Reformed Theology as outdated and boring. There is much to learn from the Reformers who, like us in these end times, had to be sure of and stand up for God’s Truth in a dark period in church history. You might not like the subject of history, but realise that the old paths of church history are very much the path your church must still take if it is to be faithful.

Thought: How would studying Reformed Theology help you in your Christian walk and testimony in these last days?

Prayer: Dear Lord, teach me the “old paths” and help me learn from Thy Word and from Thy faithful servants in history.