Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president

This morning I did it again.

As I started to write in my journal, I wrote the date down and wrote 2023 instead of 2024. I am sure I am not alone in having done this multiple times already this year. Someone posted that their only New Year’s resolution was to never write last year’s date down. I hardly think they were successful as most of us are creatures of habit, and we write down the previous year’s date without thinking.

Our habits are hard to break.

The new year finds many people all trying to break habits. There are, however, things from the past that are good and should be continued. There are habits that we may have established that are powerful and good. At times, there are habits that we used to have that we should return to because they were good.

Jeremiah 6:16 speaks of those very types of habits that we should always maintain and even seek out if we have lost our way.

The prophet was challenging us to look to the good path and stick with it. Once you find that path, you will have rest for your soul. These good ol’ days are the ones to stick with. It is talking about the path that leads to salvation, that brings you to a place of safety in God; the path that the longer you walk in it the more peace, safety, and rest you will have.

Many years ago, when I would visit my grandparents ranch, I would take one of the horses out for a ride in the pastures. There were cattle paths all through the pasture. I loved to follow those paths to see where they would lead. Invariably they would lead to one of two places. They would either lead to one of the pastures for a cool refreshing drink, or they would lead to one of the feeding areas or salt block areas. All paths would lead to those places of rest and refreshment for my grandfather’s cattle.

As this year stretches before us, take time to find that old path that leads to that good way; that place of rest that Jesus is calling us to walk. You truly will form a good habit that no matter what year it is you never have to change a thing. Just keep walking that path that God places before you.