To Cross A River

F

amily vacations are wonderful experiences!  Half the fun is deciding what places to visit and the other half is making the journey.  As the departure date approaches, an air of excitement and expectancy begins to grow. I remember one vacation in particular that gave me an opportunity to see things I had only heard of and to experience things I never dreamed possible.

My parents decided New England would be a wonderful place to visit.  One of my uncles was in the navy and was stationed in Rhode Island.  They invited us to spend some time with them and my parents thought it would be a good idea for us to see that part of the country and to visit other places along the way.  So, after making the arrangements, packing the suitcases, and locking up our house, we set out on a great adventure.

Of all the experiences we had, none impressed me more than the New Jersey Turnpike.  I had never seen so much traffic and I don’t ever want to see that much again!  My dad kept telling us to get ready because the Turnpike would take us under a river.  We were going to enter the Holland Tunnel and cross over into New York State.  This bothered me immensely because I didn’t yet know how to swim.  I couldn’t get it into my head how we were going to travel underneath a river without getting wet.  It just seemed impossible. 

We entered the Holland Tunnel and I found myself growing more and more nervous.  It grew very dark and I was expecting water to surround us at any moment.  Although I couldn’t see my dad, I knew he was there.  When I spoke to him he answered and his voice was very calm.  I was concentrating on the darkness and on all the water that was above us.  At any moment, I expected it to rush in on us.  My dad’s perspective was very different.  He was concentrating on the traffic and on the road ahead, preparing to exit the tunnel and to continue our journey.  His presence in the darkness, his voice of reassurance, and his ability to drive our car were all that was necessary for us to make it through the tunnel and emerge on the other side.

The Old Testament has several examples of God taking Israel through the water.  The crossing of the Red Sea is the most famous of all these as God opened the sea to prepare a way for His people to cross over and continue the journey he planned for them.  However, there is another verse of scripture that I consider one of my favorites and it holds a wonderful promise and great assurance for us today.

Isaiah 43:2 reads, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”  Isn’t this a great promise?  These are God’s words of encouragement and His instructions for crossing the rivers in our lives.  Please notice the very first word of this passage.  God does not say “if” we pass through waters or “if” we cross rivers.  No!  His promise is that we will cross them. That is why He says “when”.  He says this because He knows that life will be full of river crossings and deep water.  They are unavoidable!

However, God does not leave us at the water’s edge.  The next part of the verse tells us He will be with us every step of the way.  As we enter the water, it will get dark and it will appear to us that danger is all around.  We will concentrate on the problem; God will concentrate on the way ahead.  Although we may not be able to see Him at times, when we speak to Him, He will be there.  He will be right there with us, never leaving us to fend for ourselves or to cross the river alone.  His promise is that we will come through to the other side.  We know this because the scripture says we will pass through.  It never says we will stop mid-stream or that we will never make it out. 

As we emerged from the Holland Tunnel, everything was clear and normal.  The river was behind us and there wasn’t as much as a drop of water on our car.  I wasn’t sure how that happened and I didn’t understand how someone could make a way underneath a river; but none of that mattered.  The important thing was that we were able to continue our journey.

On the return trip, I was not afraid of the Holland Tunnel or that river because I had been there before.  I knew that dad would get us through all right.  God works the same way.  Each time we cross one of life’s rivers, we become more and more confident that God is able and willing to help us through the next one. What river are you crossing today?