Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Jeremiah 31:21(NIV)
“Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, Virgin Israel, return to your towns.”
Jeremiah 31:21 (MSG)
“Set up signposts to mark your trip home. Get a good map. Study the road conditions. The road out is the road back. Come back, dear virgin Israel, come back to your hometowns.”
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“Place for yourself road signs [toward Canaan], make for yourself guideposts; turn your thought and attention to the highway, to the way by which you went [into exile]. Retrace your steps, O virgin of Israel, return to these your cities.” -AMPLIFIED
“Jeremiah pictured a clear road with signposts and landmarks that would guide Israel back to the land and restored relationship with their Covenant God. They would come back to the relationship they once had (the way in which you went), to their first love with God.” ~David Guzik
In yesterday’s text, we were reminded that God, our Heavenly Father, looks upon us in love as His children. His thoughts towards us are loving and tender. God’s Message to Israel was:
“Isn’t Ephraim a precious son to me, a delightful child? Whenever I speak against him, I certainly still think about him. Therefore, my inner being yearns for him; I will truly have compassion on him.
This is the Lord’s declaration.” -Jeremiah 31:20 (CSB)
And as the Lord continues to speak to His children about the coming exile that they would embark on, He encourages them to put up road signs, signposts, or guideposts, so that they can easily find their way home one day. God’s Message to them:
“Set up markers along the road; put up guideposts so you can find your way home. Pay attention to the highway, the road you take into exile. Return by the same way, My virgin Israel; return to your cities and villages.” -(VOICE)
An allegory is used here to help the people better understand what the Lord was speaking about, and the image of a highway was used to convey to them what was needed for them to prepare their wandering hearts for the return home.
The Lord encourages the people to be thinking about their future. They should be forward thinking, so that they would be able to find their way home.
“God bids them set up waymarks, and make high heaps, that they may know how to come back to him.” ~Charles Spurgeon
God instructs the people of Israel to set up road signs, which were often rock heaps, high heaps, which would mark the way home. For they were told to prepare for their return, because it would happen one day. One day, they would come home.
Mark your pathway well!
“As you travel into exile, set up road signs pointing back to Israel. Mark your pathway well. For you shall return again, O virgin Israel, to your cities here.” -(TLB)
“God tells the Jews to turn around and walk back the way they came. The point is to undo what they have done and return to their original path, the highway of righteousness. They are to set up waymarks and heaps to clearly mark the way that they should go.” ~Melissa Beaty
In Hebrew, the word signpost is tsiyyun. At its basic meaning it means a monument. Strong’s Concordance gives us this definition: “From the same as tsiyah in the sense of conspicuousness; a monumental or guiding pillar — sign, title, waymark.”
So, a signpost would be something, whether a memorial or a heap of rocks, or something else entirely, that would attract or catch our attention, and mentally draw our awareness back to God, at least in this case.
What are some of the signposts that we should have in place in our own lives that would draw our attention back to God when we have become distracted or wandered away from Him?
First, God’s Word, the Bible, is a guidepost. Scripture reminds us: “Your word is a lamp for my steps; it lights the path before me.” -Psalm 119:105 (VOICE)
Second, God has given us the Holy Spirit to be our Guide. Scripture tells us: “Anyone who loves Me will listen to My voice and obey. The Father will love him, and We will draw close to him and make a dwelling place within him.” -John 14:23 (VOICE)
Thirdly, God instructs us to set up remembrances of what He has done for us in the past, in other words, make a memorial. Scripture instructs us to:
- “Remember how the Eternal, your True God, led you through the wilderness these past 40 years. He did this to humble you, to test you, to uncover your motivations, to see if you would obey His commands.” -Deuteronomy 8:2 (VOICE)
- “Remember the old days. For I am God; there is no other. I am God; there are no other gods like Me.” -Isaiah 46:9 (VOICE)
- “I will remember the actions the Eternal has taken,
reminisce on Your ancient wonders.” -Psalm 77:11 (VOICE) - “And so we come to the end of this musing over life. My advice to you is to remember your Creator, God, while you are young: before life gets hard and the injustice of old age comes upon you—before the years arrive when pleasure feels far out of reach— 2 before the sun and light and the moon and stars fade to darkness and before cloud-covered skies return after the rain.” -Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 (VOICE)
“Whatever we focus our attention on is what will dominate our thoughts (Proverbs 23:7). If our thoughts are dominated by the things of this world then we are going to get worldly results in our lives. We need to focus on God to get godly results.” ~Andrew Wommack
My friend, take the time to set up signposts in your life. These signposts are intended to draw our attention back to the Lord when we become distracted or have wandered away. Do not neglect this action because your spiritual life may very well depend on your obedience in doing this.
“We all want progress, but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” ~C. S. Lewis
My Prayer:
Adonai Elohim, my Great Lord, I am reminded in Scripture of the need to set up signposts in my life, reminders, even memorials, which will direct my attention back to you when I become distracted or have wandered away. If you saw the need for me to do this, then it is important for me to do so. Help me, Lord, to take the time to do so. Help me to daily take the time to spend time in your Word, to listen to the guidance of your Holy Spirit, and to take time to remember what you have done for me in the past. Help me to set up those memorials in my life, that draw my attention back to you, so that I can keep my focus on you. Thank you, Lord.
Growing with God 