We stood there at the end of the trail facing a wild Indian river in the midst of tiger country.
“Let’s cross it!” I exclaimed.
“Dad, are you serious?” David and Benjamin responded with the looks on their faces.
It couldn’t be that dangerous. There were women from the village washing clothes on the rocks next to the river. I waded in and saw that the waters, though flowing fairly strongly, were only knee to mid-thigh in depth.
The boys had never forded a river before. What a great place to do it for the first time.
Do you remember the feeling of the first time you forded a fast moving stream or river? The strength of the water flowing against you was probably greater than you had expected – yes? I know that was my experience.
I don’t remember the occasion of the first time I did this, but I do remember the feeling of the water working against me. That, I will never forget.
And now my sons were about to experience the force of a flowing river.
The river was not that wide, perhaps 50 feet. The bottom was covered with rounded “river” rocks of various sizes, so foot placement was tricky. The boys nervously stepped into the river and immediately recognized this would not be that easy.
It was difficult to get a solid foot placement on the uneven rocks. However, In order to hold their ground against the current they needed a strong base of support. And it was not simply the rocks that made it difficult to stand, but the current would push their leg away from where they wanted to take their next step, and through them off balance.
As they went about tackling the challenge of getting to the other side they soon realized a number of key tactics:
When they realized they couldn’t walk the way they normally did, they started to make good headway and got to the other side.
And their joy at discovering a new found strength was obvious. There was great celebration when they got across, and minimal concern coming back because they had proven they had the ability to do this.
The Lord brought this memory from 10 years ago to mind recently when I was discouraged with the difficulties of my life. Sometime it just feels like I’m trying to wade across a river with a strong current. Every step can be difficult.
Do you ever feel like that?
Life isn’t just sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes it’s hard work. We’re not unopposed. It seems like the current of life can be set against us attempting to get us to give up; to stop moving forward. The strategy of our spiritual enemy, the stuff of life, and the effects of other people on us can just make things tough sometimes.
All of this conspires to demotivate, discourage, and disillusion us from doing good. In colloquial vernacular it’s quite simply, “Sit down and shut!” Don’t stand up, don’t step out, don’t speak up, don’t speak out. Don’t try to move forward.
Give up.
However, we can’t do that. We can’t give in and give up. We have to get up and get going. We have to see the doubts, the fears, the negative situations, and anything that causes us to want to give up like a river we need to ford.
We can make our way through the waters of opposition that flow against us if we’ll:
Don’t sit down and shut up.
Stand up, and step out – wade through the waters of this world. You have more strength than you realize!
1 Corinthians 15:57-58
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
2 Chronicles 15:7
“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
Hebrews 10:35-36
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
Galatians 6:9
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”