The River

Rivers have drawing power.  Around these parts, people are drawn to a nearby river for all sorts of different reasons.  Some go to fish.  Some go to swim.  Some go to float downstream.  And some just go to the river and watch the water move from some place upstream to wherever it is going downstream.  There is power inherent within any river.  It is always moving, going from where we can see to places where it can no longer be seen, but always flowing.  Always moving.

 

The Word of God begins with the story of a land by a river.  In Genesis 2:10 it is written, "A river flows out of Eden."  Other rivers with names like Nile and Jordan and Chebar flow from the pages of Scripture.  Jesus used the image of a river as He said, "Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water."  (John 7:38)   And even as the Biblical Word speaks of a river in its beginning pages so does it in its final pages as it reads, "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright and crystal, flowing from the throne of God..." (Revelation 22:1)

It is not surprising that many of those who write and reflect about the spiritual journey lift up the image of the river to speak of life with God.  A river has power to change everything it touches, it has the force to sweep away everything within it, and it is always moving to some distant place not yet seen.  It is not hard to see how those who point us toward spiritual maturity would cause us to reflect on stepping into the river of God's power and presence to be swept away and taken wherever it is that He might choose to take us.  The kind of faith to which Jesus calls us to embrace is not for the toe-dabblers, but for those who are willing to risk it all in the ever flowing river.