Thoughts from the Trail

Jesus — “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38).

My wife and I love to go to Banff. On one of our trips, we walked along the path beside the river running through town. We walked and talked. We stopped for a selfie by the river with the mountains in the background. It was beautiful. It was peaceful and quiet. It is one of my favourite moments from that trip.

This morning I saw a picture of a path beside a river, and that memory came to mind, and I heard the Spirit’s whisper. The Spirit whispered, “I don’t want you to walk beside the river; I want you to walk in the river, the river of my presence.”

Too often, I’ve walked beside the river. When I walk beside the river, it’s beautiful and peaceful, and the river’s sound soothes my soul. When I walk beside the river, I control the pace and direction—I can stop or turn around anytime I want. Walking beside the river is easier; the path is cleared and even, and I can see where it’s taking me.

But the Spirit wants more for me. The Spirit invites me to step into the river and not just wade along the shore. The Spirit invites me to immerse myself in the river, to lie back and be carried along in the river of his presence. The Spirit longs for me to let his current take me deeper and farther than the path leads. Deeper and farther into the beauty of life that is nourished by the river of his presence.

If life and beauty are waiting in the river, why do I stick to the path? Why do I walk beside the river rather than be in it? Is it out of fear of where the river leads? Is it because I’m afraid to let go of control? Or is it because I just don’t trust the river? Why, my soul, do you stick to the path?

The truth is, the path won’t take me where the river leads. As long as I walk beside the river, I’ll never become what Jesus envisions. Until I fully immerse myself in the river, I will not discover and experience the life that God created me for.

The path and river are waiting. Today I choose to step into the river, to lie back, to let the waters cover me, and let the current take me where the river of the Spirit is flowing. Will you join me?

Check out the Deeper Life section of this website for more information on how you step into the river of the Spirit’s presence.