A River Runs Through Me

I have never thought about rivers the way I have thought about them today.  I have always thought of water and rivers to be something good since water is mentioned so much in the Bible as a cleansing agent and a symbol of purity.  But after reading a devotional this morning, I realized so much more.

All rivers have a source.  We may never realize or know from where it began, but it has a place of origin.  And all rivers have obstacles.  There may be rocks, tree branches and trash for it to push through or find a path around.  Sometimes, rivers seem to disappear only to reappear miles away.

It's amazing to think that each of us who draw from the source of Christ has the ability to be as tough and mighty as a river.  No matter the situation, that power is within.  There may be no way to escape what is in front of us, but the source finds a way to push through, maneuver around or remove the daunting challenge ahead.  The power of God backs us.  Think about that.  The power of the living God propels us as we call upon it.

Maybe there is little evidence of the river within us right now.  Maybe it has been reduced to a trickle.  That is okay, though.  The source never left.  He gives us what we need in the time we need it.  Slow and steady is the course.  We may feel that we have no impact on the world around us due to the small size of the river we navigate.  Per Oswald Chambers, the fact is "God rarely allows a soul to see how great a blessing he is."  So, though we don't see the impact the water flowing through us has, it is still changing lives.