Through the Waters

Have you ever waded in a river? The bottom was slippery, making you feel unsure of your next step, and the stones under your tender feet and were sharp and painful. Perhaps you were a little daring and stepped out past the shallow areas into the deeper water. Do you remember feeling like the fast-flowing current was strong enough to wipe your feet out from under you and wash you away?

The Christian life is a journey. Sometimes we travel through valleys of despair and then climb mountains of hardship to reach those too-rare peaks of victory. At times the way is pleasant as we stroll through lush pastures of close fellowship with the Lord. We rest in the soft, green grass and leisurely drink from the bubbling brook. And then there are the times that we reach a rushing river of overwhelming trials.

Perhaps you have reached such a river in your life. God urges you, not to follow along side, but to pass through those turbulent waters. There is just no way around it and no way over it. The only way is through it.

You step into the cold water. Your feet tingle with the shock of this new chilly temperature of trial….but it’s not so bad. The troubled waters of life only reach to your ankles. Confident that you will be okay, you continue on.

The river bed is slippery underfoot. The secure feeling of the “certain” is now taken away as frightening and unpredicted circumstances now loom before you. You could so easily slip, making the wrong choice… You don’t want to fall, so you tread on carefully, watching your step.

Underneath your feet the sharp rocks of persecution begin to cut your tender soles. You are hurt and bleeding…but you press on courageously.

The water gradually gets deeper and deeper. You didn’t think the river was this deep…could get this deep. The current of tribulations gets stronger as the freezing water rises on your body, chilling you to the very core. In some areas the current of your hardships is so swift that you feel it will pull you down with its unmerciful force and carry you away. Still, you battle against the urge to “go with the flow.” Too many Christians have died already. Like the branches, leaves, and debris sailing by you, others have given in to the pressure of their circumstances and were carried off to their spiritual deaths.

Feet torn, bruised, and bleeding, you stagger on…on…and on. How much longer? When will this fight end?

Suddenly, the ground gives way under your feet. At least those stones underfoot gave you a measure of stability, though hard and cruel. Now…nothing is sure. Everything you depend on for your livelihood is ripped away in a moment of time. No foundation. Nothing solid. Paralyzed with fear, you begin to sink beneath the waves. Images flash before your eyes…those you love, your plans, your dreams, all that you cherish…it’s all fading from your grasp. There is nothing to which you can cling. You thrash in panic, attempting in vain to remain afloat…but you are so weak from battling the current. Too tired to fight…too weak to go on. You submit to the tide and sink…deeper, deeper, deeper. Zest for life slowly ebbs from your weary body as the water encloses around your head. Why go on? I cannot endure this any longer. The overwhelming circumstances in which you find yourself begin to suffocate you. The vastness of your trials has almost caused you to give up…to yield to the fluid filling your exhausted and burning lungs.

Still sinking…but, suddenly, just as you reach bottom, having submitted to the fact that the muddy floor will soon be your grave, your feet feel the solid coolness of a large rock. Stability! There IS still hope! There IS still a reason to go on! With a sudden surge of adrenaline, you push against that rock with your feet and force your way up, up, up until your head breaks through the surface. Coughing and sputtering, your lungs fill with clean air. You can breathe! The rock gave you the opportunity to survive. You gain renewed energy to swim through the churning waters surrounding you.

After a time you grow weary again. The waters are too deep to stand in. There is no foundation beneath. Your only chance of survival is to keep swimming, swimming…swimming, neck-deep in trouble, trials and heartache. That burst of energy has once again faded like the hope in your soul. There is no end of these trials in sight. Where is the shore? How much longer? When will I reach the other side? Solid ground…where is it? Where is my God? Is His mercy clean gone?

Is this the “river” in which you find yourself? I’ve been thinking about water lately and the comparison between water and how it affects us physically and how the waters of trial affect us spiritually. Here are some thoughts…

God proves us with the waters of affliction. (Psalm 81:7) Any Christian will serve God when life’s stream is gentle and pleasant, but when the riverbed is flooded and churning angrily with troubles, it is then that the true strength of our character is revealed. The Lord leads us beside still waters, yes. And then at other times He bids us to pass through the river. Have you been asked to endure that awful tide?

Water can knock us off our feet. Sometimes the things life throws at us are enough to send us staggering in disbelief and immeasurable sorrow. We feel that the ground beneath our feet has given way and there is no element of stability left in our lives. David cried, “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” (Psalm 69:2) David was at his wits end. He felt that he was drowning is his troubles, and they caused him to cry out to his God. Sometimes the Lord brings us to a river as a means of correction for our disobedience, and at other times there seems to be no logical reason for our suffering. I know many godly people who live lives filled with constant pain. I don’t understand it, but God has a purpose. Whether we suffer for our wrongdoing or just because that is how God wants it, there is a purpose. David understood that. He called out to his God. Do you hear the desperation in his cry? “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.” Like David, we need to call on God with a loud voice when we feel about to drown in despair of our circumstances. “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

I remember a point in my life when I felt beyond hope. My family was out running errands, and I was home alone. The enormity of my situation overwhelmed me. I did not see how God could come through for me. Humanly speaking there was no possibility that it could happen. I was sitting on the floor in our living room wrapping birthday gifts and thinking about my problem. I began to cry. The sound of my sobbing filled the whole house. In anguish, I cried out to God, not in a whisper, but with a loud voice. I poured out my complaint before God and emptied my soul before Him. The torrent of tears and pleas subsided, but I continued to pray quietly. Suddenly, I heard these words… “No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” I was shocked to hear my own voice. I repeated the words, trying to make sense of what my own lips had just uttered. Where did that come from? Was that Bible? If so, I couldn’t remember ever memorizing it. I found my Bible and looked for a verse like that. Sure enough, it was there. I sat in complete astonishment. God had given me my answer. The torrent of my tears and the loud cry of my voice had drawn His attention. If we long to grip the heart of God, we must CRY out to Him! “I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.” (Psalm 77:1) “In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.” (Psalm 120:1)

Water hides our way. Water hides God’s way. The water current and shifting sand cover the tracks we have made and the tracks God has made, for He has already traveled this way of heartache before us. We cannot see what He is doing. We cannot see where He is going. There is no path to follow that would direct us on our journey, for in the vast ocean of our turmoil all we can see around us is water stretching on endlessly. “Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.” (Psalm 77:19) When we see no path before us, we must go on by faith. That is all we have--our faith. “The LORD…maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.” (Isaiah 43:16) Our ears must be ever tuned to hear a still, small voice. “Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:20-21) In that soft whisper is the encouragement we need to continue on, to battle the fierce currents that would otherwise leave us utterly hopeless. It is in the troubled waters of our greatest affliction that we will hear the most concentrated words of love and guidance from Him who is our Comforter, for the waters are His habitation. “The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters.” (Psalm 29:3)

Water will bring us to the Rock with appreciation. When darkness settles around us and the violent waters slap us in the face, willing to choking us…when we feel that we have reached the end of our endurance and our strength has failed, it is then that we have reached the point of being helped! We must be emptied of our own resources, and then we are ready for Divine intervention. God longs to bring each one of His children to this point…but He knows that only a few chosen ones can endure the crashing waves and fight against the strong current of this world. If you have been chosen, how blessed you are (though you do not feel blessed) for you have entered into a holy place. “He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.” (Psalm 18:11) “Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters.” (Psalm 104:3) To experience the intimacy of God’s comfort and love, we must pass through unfamiliar darkness, thick clouds of uncertainty, and brave the stormy waters. Only then can we reach the secret place--the pavilion of His presence and sweet peace. Our insecurity is the doorway to a security that exceeds this world’s comprehension. Who would choose to walk on a rocky surface when a carpet of soft grass stretches out before them? You see, it is only in the insecurity of thrashing waters that we will appreciate the solid foundation of a rock--or The Rock. “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5) Our most overwhelming times of trial are opportunities given by God to enter into His secret place and set our feet upon a firm foundation when all of life is crashing around us. Look at these verses again. “He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.” (Psalm 18:11) “Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters.” (Psalm 104:3)

Can you picture that in your mind? Do you see the heavy darkness, spread out like a blanket? It is a darkness that is not only seen, but felt within the soul. Do you see the low mist so thick that nothing is visible past an arm’s length? It seems to swallow up the fearful cries of those struggling in the black waters. Do you see people thrashing about? Helpless…hopeless…about to drown in the despair of life. The moisture-filled air shifts with a gust of wind, and suddenly through the dusky haze I can see the dim outline of a solid structure. Beams extending like pillars of hope from the churning waves…the foundation of stability itself in a scene of instability. The contrast is so great…it is awe striking. The very picture of peace. A warmth radiates from within. There is no pathway to this haven in this sea of turmoil. Like a castle, it stands surrounded by water. Only those who can brave the crashing waves and troubled tempest are privileged to glimpse this place, to cling to those beams for support and to enter in. This is where God dwells. This is where the weary soul finds its rest.

“The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” (Psalm 93:4)

“He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.” (Psalm 18:16)

“We went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.’ (Psalm 66:12)

Water will not overflow us. We have a promise. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (Isaiah 43:2) Though the tempests may seem to be out of control, Jesus has the power to simply command, “Peace. Be still.” He is with us in all that we are going through. Like a loving Father, He stands by our side, and when we begin to sink, He gently reaches down and lifts us in His strong embrace. A good father is sensitive to the weaknesses and endurance of his children, and so is God! “He gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth.” (Proverbs 8:29) “He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.” (Job 26:10) Like with Job, God allowed Satan to test us, but He sets the rules. Satan could take anything of Job’s, but he could not take Job’s life. There were boundaries to the river of affliction Job had to pass through. God had to bring him through that fearful river to make a greater man of him. To pass through the river is the ultimate test and our privilege. And we know that God will never give us more than we can take. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) If we feel that He is giving us more than we can bear, that must mean He thinks we are pretty tough. He has confidence in us!

Water strengthens love. “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” (Song of Solomon 8:7) Once again, we see that the waters of trial cannot overwhelm or quench love. The distressing waters of life will test our love. How strong is it? Will the river we are passing through drown our love for those who cause us such pain? Will it drown our love for God? The quality of a relationship is put to the test when the flood of waters attempt to drown it. If it stands the test, that love is only strengthened and grows more intimate. If our love is real and true, ocean waves of trial can try to quench it, but it will go on and endure and endure and endure! Like a pebble in a brook, the waters can wash over us, but we will only grow more smooth and beautiful. We need to remember that just because we are going through troubled waters does not mean God has stopped loving us. This is often what Satan tells us, as he derives pleasure from our pain. The fact that God entrusts such a fearsome trial into our care shows His confidence in us that we can endure it and will come through stronger because of it. Nothing we are going through can separate us from God’s love for us! “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) God’s love is endless!

You have finally reached the shoreline you thought you would never live to see. After swimming through persecution, pain, and sorrow for what seemed like an eternity, you now feel soft sand under your hurt and aching feet. Yes, though still in the cold waters, you feel something solid once again! As the river grows shallow, you crawl like a baby onto the dry, sandy beach. After resting for a long time, you stand up and gaze around you, a sweet satisfaction washing over you. You’ve made it! Looking back over the rough river you just crossed, suddenly the sun peeks through the clouds, transforming the entire picture. What was once a black, churning river now looks like rippling glass as the sun causes it to sparkle like a sea of diamonds. What was once grueling and despised is now something you look back on with joy and peace in your heart. You passed through the water…you were victorious!

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. “ ~ Romans 8:28