Follow the Water...the Wayfarer 4/6/13

Follow the Water
4/6/13

 Today’s title is, once more, taken not from the scriptures directly, but from past personal experience.

During the many years spent as a simple soldier. devoted to the skills necessary to defending my nation, I spent quite a bit of time honing those skills/ and perfecting the use of the meager tools of the trade which I was given.

Land Navigation was of particular import, and to me particularly difficult to master. I spent hours, and days in the pursuit of various courses that were laid out by our instructors in highly inaccessible areas throughout the places I found myself on this small, yet inexplicably huge ball of dirt.

One of these courses stands out in memory, not because of its location, but because of a chance encounter with an old local farmer, whose advice I have never forgotten over the years, and still applies in my current attempts to navigate through the world I inhabit.

I had wandered slightly off the reservation intended to be used in a land nav course to find myself on the property of an old farmer whose appreciation for our presence was evident in the manner in which he addressed me.

To paraphrase his end of the conversation: “Son you appear lost and in need of water” (my canteen was empty… it was hot.. I was thirsty!) After giving me a bottle of water from his own supply, he told me to simply pay attention to the various streams and other bodies of water that flowed downhill, and to walk beside them until reaching civilization. He commented that " you will always find a village downhill from here if you only follow the water”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that my goal was not civilization, but a particular target area that contained an LZ that was in fact, uphill, from where we were.

I eventually reached my LZ using the compass and inadequate, outdated, map I had been given, ans caught my ride back to the unit, but his words stuck, and still stick in my mind!!

The echo of another’s journey traversed without even the aids that I had available also stick in my mind as do his words about water.

Water is an essential element to our very survival on this planet. Even a child is aware of the need to satisfy the thirst that is part of our daily lives and that without it we would perish.

This is why we build our civilizations in conjunction with its availability.

There is another thirst that must also be slaked as we journey about the hills and dales and valleys of our own unique journey through God's world.

It is the thirst for righteousness spoken of throughout both Testaments of the scriptures.

Some will not recognize that thirst for what it is, but will search only for what they consider to be a wholeness, and feeling of rightness in their life.

Others will ignore the need to find the means to slake this thirst, and will attempt to subdue it by doing any, and every, thing they think will lead to their happiness, constantly failing to find satisfaction, despite the glittering golden offerings they are able to acquire along the way, and despite the failed sensuality, and depravity,  pursued in an attempt to fill that need. 

These will continue to search until the last breath, for something that is immediately at hand, and easily within reach, if they are only able to recognize it for what it is.

The other, whose journey I considered earlier in this treatise is none other than Jesus!

He “walked downhill", from a throne of power and total glory, not only to find our poor excuse for civilization, but did so to offer us a chance to never have to face a need for quenching the second thirst I mentioned again.

Having already devoted another sermon to his meeting with a Samaritan at a well, and another still devoted to “The Bread of life” I will not  regurgitate these entire scriptures again ,but wish to leave you with an offering from both the old, and new testaments, in regard to the water for which we need to seek!

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort mel

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

(Psalm 23:1-6)

“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst no more; neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. 

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

(Revelation 7:16&17)

I chose these two passages to remind you of what water we need to truly search for.

We must all eventually take that long downhill walk from the summits we are able to climb while we live, and progress through that valley mentioned in the 23'd Psalm that is so dreaded by each of us still breathing the glorious fresh air of this world.

There is no shame in walking downhill. to find the water at the bottom of the trip, as long as we follow that water downhill  all the way to its eventual reservoir.

That reservoir that we seek must be none other than Jesus himself, and the tools needed to get us along the way have been provided by His example to us and His teachings of how to live while taking the journey.

"You look lost, son, are you thirsty?"

Walk downhill!  Follow the water!

My thanks go to an old farmer speaking in a language not my own, but one learned from the necessity to communicate in a land I inhabited at that time, and still much appreciated by a much older soldier!

Wonderful words of advice to assure that the physical needs of a young wayfaring stranger were met, and that no harm come to him, from a simple soul spending his days working in conjunction with God's plan to feed others as well as himself!

These words were intended to give self-confidence and the ability to endure the journey he thought I was undertaking.

How much more precious is the word of God that gives the same confidence of needs being fulfilled on the journey I still have not finished!!!

Salutations are given to all my brothers and sisters in the Lord, from a poor simple sinner saved by the Grace of God through faith in my Savior, still a soldier in his service.

 Search out the waters to quench the thirst that you must have if you are one of His. Remember that as you walk downhill, as you must, keep that water close to your heart! If you do you’ll complete the journey to find yourself never thirsting again.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer