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What do you do when you’re standing at a crossroads? What’s your reaction when you come to a fork in the road?

We’ve been in a season of no, of unknown, of doors closing, of a chapter ending… a time of waiting and seeking and trusting.

A few days ago I stumbled upon this verse I had underlined in my Bible…

“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. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” – Jeremiah 6:16

We’re still working through the pain and heartache, but we’re growing and learning. And things are starting to shift and change. Hope is rising. Doors are unlocking; windows are cracking open, and light is finding its way in.

We’re standing on the edge of a new chapter, a fresh season. Instead of one clear path, we have a few different options. My personality longs to do what is right, and decision-making can be a challenge for me, so I tend to create lists of pros and cons for each opportunity.

But I keep coming back to this verse.

Stand. Look. Ask. Walk. Rest.

And then there’s the heartbreaking response of the people: “We will not walk in it.”

In the Message, the verse reads:

“Go stand at the crossroads and look around. Ask for directions to the old road, the tried-and-true road. Then take it. Discover the right route for your souls. But they said, ‘Nothing doing. We aren’t going that way.’” – Jeremiah 6:16

How many times have I turned a deaf ear to the Father’s heart and gone my own way? How many times have I asked for His will and then ignored the invitation to participate in it?

During this transition I’ve been standing, and watching, and asking. Which path God? I inquire of Him so that I can acquire what He has next for me. I pray for strength to walk in it, and to receive His rest as I do.

I try to be unhurried in the midst of people needing answers. Because I don’t want to lose my heart in the process of moving forward. I don’t want my eyes to be fixed on anything else but Jesus. So as much as I’ve wanted to rush past these months of waiting, I’m finding intentionality to be a companion as I choose to wait a little longer.

We don’t want to lose God in the search for our next step. We want to remember that He is better than any dream. We lay it all at His feet, and we lean in to Him.

Every decision will be hard. There isn’t one perfect option, but every option has good in it. Each opportunity has the potential to grow us and stretch us. It’s not about which one makes more sense, or which one’s pros outweigh the cons. It’s not even about being right or wrong.

It’s about listening and responding. It’s about walking by faith, not by sight – walking with God. It’s about holding on to hope. It’s about trusting God to make a way, to do what only He can do. To believe that He can do all things – that for Him, nothing is impossible.

“God is good. His plans are good. His ways are good. And we can trust Him at all times.” – Lysa TerKeurst

So we stand. We stand still. We stand firm. We stand with open hands.

We look. We see with hopeful eyes and wait with expectant hearts. We look around for the path He’s lighting up.

We ask. We boldly approach His throne (Hebrews 4:16). We ask for vision and peace and His presence. We pray for love to cover what fear exposes. For strength to run the race Jesus marked out for us. For the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us.

We walk. We walk with Him. We walk by faith. We love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8).

We discover soul rest. We find the very thing we were looking for all along, what we really needed – a good and loving Father. We receive Him and all that He has for us.

“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” – Psalm 116:7

We live in a world that demands a decision from us at every turn (sometimes multiple). I hope that this kind of decision, of listening for God’s voice and responding to His call, isn’t a hard one for us. That when we find ourselves at the crossroads, we make time and give space for standing, seeing, and asking. And when we find the good way with God, I pray we are brave enough to walk in it.