I loved these two words when I came across them in Jeremiah 6:16 (from around the year 600 B.C.). There is something epic about movies or stories from an “ancient” time period. For some reason we are drawn to fantasies like Lord of the Rings and middle earth, a battle between good and evil from ancient times. Or, to the science fiction of Star Wars – a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Instead of looking at centuries past as old and outdated, I prefer a perspective of searching for nuggets of wisdom that were learned and applied long before my time.

Jeremiah writes, “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.'” Like me, I am sure you have had several “crossroads” in your story. Should I go to the right or to the left? Should I take this risk or play it safe? Should I live by faith or common sense? This ancient scripture instructs me to look, to ask, to seek — Where is the good way? What is God’s best for me right now (even if it seems challenging or difficult)? If I walk in this good way, I will find rest for my soul.

I wrote a new melody called Ancient Paths a while back. Just yesterday, I created a new music video to enhance meditation and reflection on these words from Jeremiah, while listening to the music. I hope you enjoy the video down below. I would love to hear from you with regard to the “good ways” you are seeking, and the tension this can create, as these can often require faith.

The Ancient Paths MP3 single is available for listening and downloading at stantonlanier.com, iTunes, Amazon MP3, and all other download services. Special thanks to Craig Corbin for his amazing images in the video.