In my devotions today there was a definition that I would like to share with you.
Through: From end to end, or from side to side; from one surface or limit to the opposite.
Life is much like a river. For the most part the waters are flowing smoothly between the banks on a journey that only God knows where it will end. I like to raft down the calm river and feel like all my cares are just floating away with each leaf that happens by. I could stay on that raft looking up at the sky, thanking God for the peace that only He can bring, for all time. But each river has their own rapids. Rough, churning water that hammers against the rocks threatening anything that happens to enter into the chaos of the whitewaters.
Several years ago, my husband and I went rafting with my sister and brother-in-law while we were vacationing in the Smokies. They put Kathy and me in the front of the raft and, wow! So much fun! I couldn’t figure out why the guide had stressed the hand holds so strongly during the orientation until I saw the rapids in front of us. I found the hand holds quickly, believe me! The water hit our faces and stung like little needles! Then, the front of the raft got caught under a rock and the river came rushing in on Kathy and me! The guide talked us through how to keep our cool and shift our weight so that the force of the water itself dislodged the raft and we started floating down the still waters again.
From that experience I learned how not to fight in the midst of the turbulence. If I had panicked and not listened to the guide, I could have been seriously hurt and taken others down with me. That is what God is saying to us in Isaiah 43:2,
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.”
When we say we are going through something, we often think of the negative, but God is getting us THROUGH. I knew with my level head that I was going to get through the rapids on that rafting trip. I knew that I would be safe as long as I listened to what the guide was telling me and followed his instruction.
I am going to go through rough waters in my life. But God has provided so much guidance on how to get THROUGH that I know there is another side. And God’s peace is on that other side. But God’s peace is there even when I am in the middle of the rapids. The Holy Spirit is my constant Guide. John 14:26,
“…the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
God has placed people all around me to instruct me to rely on His Word for guidance through the rough times of life. Hebrews 13:7,
“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”
God never promised a smooth ride all the days of our lives, but He did promise to give us a way out. A way to remember how to get through and not stay in the churn. He gives us peace that passes all understanding and keeping that peace is a great deal of how we can go all the way through our turbulence to the smooth waters on the other side.
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Heart Notes of Life 