The Lake and the River

[bluidkiti]

The Lake and the River


And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. Ezekiel 47:9 (NKJV)
If I could pick a dream place to live it would be by a lake. In my imagination, I have pictured a homestead with a cozy cabin and an acre of land bordering the lakeshore. Going out from the land would be a boat dock, and tied to the dock would be a fishing boat with fishing gear safely secured inside. I can easily imagine myself rising early in the morning, heading out on the lake in my boat, putting a fresh worm on a hook and a bobber on the line, making a cast, sitting back, and delighting in the stillness and the beauty of the moment.
What if life was like living by a lake? A lake can represent stability and tranquility. A lake doesn’t change much from year to year. Once you locate it on a map you know it will be there year after year, without moving to a new location. With the exception of a severe storm or the changing of the seasons, a lake is a secure place with clear boundaries, stable waters, and a quiet shore. There is a sense of order, control, and safe predictability about a lake, with few major surprises from day to day.
As much as I would like life to be like living by a lake, I have found life in this world to be more like traveling down a river. A river is on the constant go and keeps moving toward its destination as the strong force of its current chisels new pathways through the landscape.
A river is very unpredictable and filled with many twists and turns, highs and lows, rapids and calms, unseen obstacles and unexpected objects that go drifting by. Like a river, life can be exhilarating and exhausting, it can be slow and monotonous, or fast and full of adventure.
When traveling on a river it is important to be watchful and alert to what is taking place around you, and to make sure the vessel you are in stays afloat. Your direction can change quickly and since you only make one trip on the river, you are never quite certain what is around the next bend.
As we journey on in life we want things to be safe and secure for us and our loved ones. We would prefer to live without any big changes or surprises, but we find that life is always moving on in ways that we cannot control, predict, or expect.
The good news for every believer is that our security, stability, and sanity is not found on the river of our life, but in the Lord of life. Our hope is not in present things, but in better things. Our peace is not found in the course of our life, but in the One who directs our course. Our hope is fixed upon the One whose hand turns the river according to His will, and is able to work all things together for good and for His glory.
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:18-19 (NLT)