“The LORD proclaims: Stop at the crossroads and look around; ask for the ancient paths. Where is the good way? Then walk in it and find a resting place for yourselves” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬a ‭CEB‬‬).

I love innovation. Smart phones, smart watches, smart water—I’m a sucker for all of it. I figure if I use the latest productivity schemes I can optimize performance teams and generate revenue streams at the speed of laser beams… but innovation isn’t always what it seems.

The reality is that fancy new solutions often create fresh batches of problems. Living in the fast lane usually means we zoom past rest stops and neighbors who are stranded on the side of the road.

This was the way of life, so to speak, for many in the Kingdom of Judah when Jeremiah served as a prophet and priest. Trendy things to do at the time included: worship of foreign gods, extreme sacrifices, and oppression of the poor. However, the young King Josiah did something unexpected for a whippersnapper. He moved the nation forward by looking backward—to God’s life giving, rest restoring law. In doing so, Josiah earned the respect of Jeremiah and the loyalty of once-exiled Israelites.

Dear God, grant us the wisdom to know when when we should seek new paths and when we should revisit old ones. Amen.