The River

 

The River

From atop the Big Ridge in Scott and Hancock Counties of Virginia one can see miles of the glittering Clinch River. In places it is calm, clear and glistening. In other places it flows over rocky ledges where it boils, tumbles and foams. These rough spots are called rapids. People who travel the river by canoe or kayak, find these rapids a real challenge. Often they overturn and disrupt the journey. Still those who practice the art, return again and again despite the danger. As for me, I prefer still, calm waters. Life resembles the meandering of such a river. The difference, God can smooth the rapids in life for those who know him and call upon His name. Writers use water to relate the benefit and changing of life in turmoil.

Job 28:9 “ He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. 10 He [God] cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. 11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.”

Jude 1:12 “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;”

Isaiah 48:18 “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:”

Ezekiel 32:14 “Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.”

John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Mark 9:41 “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. Matthew 10:42 ”And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

John 4:10 “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well

of water springing up into everlasting life.

Revelation 7:17 “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.

John 5:4 “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”

John 5:3 “In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.”

Luke 8:24 “...he [Jesus] arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.”

Revelation 22:1 “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Revelation 21:6 “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. [Too late after death] Luke 16:24 “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

[Those who died in Christ shall see] Revelation 22:2 “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Know God, know peace. Amen. 01/29/21 Bll