The River of God’s Will

Have you ever capsized in the rapid shallows of a river? The first instinct is to stabilize yourself, gather your stuff (cushions, oars, canoe, etc.) and make your way to the banks to regroup. However, this cannot be done…even in just a couple of feet of water. When you try to set your feet on the riverbed two things become apparent; the footing is precarious due to the uneven, rocky surface and the river has no intention of letting you stay in one place. This happened to me, and I remember skittering along, with one hand on my over turned canoe, another grasping my oar and trying to set my feet for a push sideways toward the bank. Ouch! With every attempt my ankle was turned and whacked by rocks as I bobbed and bounced trying to remain upright. Additionally, the larger boulders would sneak up on me as I was pulled inexorably downstream. I saw myself heading toward a big rock, released the canoe and tried to maneuver around the boulder by resisting the flow. Let me tell you the current is irresistible. In my attempt to avoid the boulder I slammed right into it. Ouch! Now I was hurt and exhausted. I could not help myself, I could not go on, and yet the river had me in its surprisingly, mighty grasp.

At that point, I surrendered. I surrendered my will. I surrendered to the river. I glided along with my body limp (no resistance left in me) and saw another big boulder sticking out of the rapids as I zipped along headfirst in its direction. I figured this was the part where I was about to have my head cracked open and was tempted to fight again, but that didn’t work last time. I stayed limp as the boulder drew ominously near and prayed to God for mercy. And then an amazing thing happened. I remained limp on the approach to impact and just as my head was about to smack the rock, the water suddenly whisked me to the right and around the boulder safely. I felt my body and legs pull in a gentle arc around the boulder as the water swept me along past the boulder. I marveled at how the water was helping me, guiding me, leading me downstream. Each time an obstacle presented itself, the water circumvented the barrier and took me with it; all as I floated along, “resting”, with my body limp offering no resistance.

Shortly thereafter, I had cleared the shallow rapids and emerged in deeper, slower water where the river widened. I turned and saw my “stuff” dutifully coming up behind me along the same tract. Now, I was able to swim and maneuver in the water, gathering my things into the righted, but water filled canoe and pulled everything over to the banks. I regrouped (even reunited with my soggy wife) and was able to set out again. However, I had learned an important lesson about rivers and the deceptive power of a seemingly small amount of water. Although, it was lost on me at the time, I had also learned something about the nature of God’s will.

I realize now that God’s will is like a river. As a river flows on seeking its own level, purposefully toward its home destination, the sea, so does God’s will flow inexorably on seeking its resolution in His purpose. Both a river and God’s will are purposeful, driven, powerful, and ultimately successful; the river will reach its destination (which is also its original source, “returning home” as it were) and God’s Will will accomplish His plan.

There is a lesson in this for living. When we live for ourselves, putting our will first, it’s like trying to resist the river. What we want may seem attainable and greatly desire, but if it’s not in accord with God’s Will we will meet resistance, have little success and hurt ourselves in the process. Even if we succeed, any pleasure or benefit will not last.

Some of us may be satisfied to just struggle to the banks of life where we will try to content ourselves with whatever we have found there. However, temporal things are fleeting in nature and effect. One can only stay on the banks for so long before they stagnate like the water that’s pooled along its edges. One can see these little pools, out of the mainstream, where the water kind of circles around going nowhere and is filled with silt and decayed leaves. Eventually, by staying we will become rotten like the water there, lacking the freshness and vigor of the moving flow. And as we are decaying, we also realize that we have lost the benefits we thought we had derived on the bank; they either disappear or lose their value. Eventually, we must rot there or move on. Even at this point of realization, many will stay simply because of the enormous effort it took to get there, twisting ankles, scraping shins and banging knees along the way. Others may want desperately to move on, but fear having to challenge the river again. This is the fate of the selfish, fearful and complacent. They have pulled themselves out of the will of God and are languishing in the mundane aspect of the world, without hope of ever being fulfilled and always wondering what may have been around the next bend.

Worse still is the fate of those who decide to fight their way back upstream; the arrogant, the rebellious, the self-righteous. These people are not just seeking their own will; they are in direct opposition to God’s. As they fight their way along, they are bloodied, bruised and eventually broken. For a time, the exhilaration may drive them on, but eventually they will wear down. They are heading away from the true source of their origin and strength. It’s a journey that has no end, not so much because it’s unattainable, but rather, because there is none. One of three things will happen to those fighting against river of God’s will; they will die trying, unfulfilled and unhappy, they will eventually work their way to the banks seeking a refuge that becomes stagnation, or they will surrender and allow the river to guide them back where they needed to go and were intended to be all along.

Now, following the will of God does require surrender (dying to oneself…subjugating your will to His…seeking His Glory, rather than worldly pleasure), but it also requires faith and patience along the way. Following God’s plan does not mean there will not be obstacles; however, He will guide you past or through them all. Sometimes, the situation may seem hopeless and the obstacles insurmountable, but that’s when God reminds us of us His awesome power. He is magnified in our weaknesses and glorified by our salvation! Just like the way He gently guided my head around the boulder when I rested my faith in Him, He will guide you through every difficulty as you follow Him. He may glide you around the boulder, make it disappear or enable you to go right through it. He who created the laws of the universe, will bend those laws to His purpose as He sees fit. All we have to do is surrender and trust in Him. He wants us Home.