Rivers. I see them everywhere! There’s no fighting the river! They show up in my writing, in my singing, hiking, even in my dreams. When God really wants to get my attention, He sends a dream to teach me.
Two weeks ago, I dreamed of a river. The river was deep and moving with purpose. The current was strong, but not violent. Rocky granite walls lined the far side of the river, with a thick green forest on the other side. I stood watching from the shore, and around the bend in the river, I saw myself. I floated in this mighty river, down the middle in the deep of it. I struggled as I went, fighting the river. My arms flailed. My legs kicked wildly splashing the water. Several times, I went under, taking in water, coughing and choking. I fought to stay alive and not drown.
As I watched, the Lord reminded me of the example of a drowning person and a lifeguard. When a person is drowning and the lifeguard comes to save them, if they panic and do not stay still, they can actually drown the lifeguard along with themselves. They must trust the lifeguard and his skill to rescue them.
It’s similar with riptides in the ocean. To survive being caught in a riptide, you must remain calm and swim in the direction of the flow. If you fight it, you will exhaust yourself and drown.
The Lord spoke into my spirit, “Be still! Stop fighting the river! The more you fight and kick and struggle to save yourself, the more difficult your journey will be.”
WHAT IS THE RIVER?
When I woke up, I wondered, “what exactly did the river represent and why was I fighting so hard?”
God showed me, the River is His Holy Spirit flowing in my life. The Holy Spirit carries me along in the flow of God’s plan. He can lead me and carry me in everything. However, when I am fighting the river, I am fighting Him.
Remember – Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as Living Waters, which flow out of believers. God’s Spirit is the River! John 7:37-39
BE STILL – STOP FIGHTING the RIVER
I’m the person who comes out of anesthesia, with fists flying and pulls the oxygen mask off. I don’t like being unconscious and out of control. Floating along on a strong river current is not my idea of fun.
I realized, in my dream, my splashing about was really a fight for control. I didn’t like the fact that I was being carried along against my will! I wanted to decide where and how the river flowed. I wanted to make sure the water was safe.
The truth is, I am safe in the River of God’s Spirit. God is not out to kill me or drown me or plunge me under. He is full of love and is for me not against me! I will not drown in the flow of His Spirit. I belong to Him.
Panic and fighting the current only bring struggle and injury.
Peace is found when I let go of control and learn to move with God’s River.
HIS PLAN IS BEST
Psalms 139 reveals God has a perfect plan for our life. He wrote a plan of beautiful days for us to live out on earth, good works to walk in, freedom from sin, love, forgiveness, mercy, and more.
Looking back over my life, my days didn’t always look like God’s lovely plan. Instead of a peaceful placid flow of water, it was raging rapids and sudden waterfalls!
God is calling me to yield my will more to His will in my life and stop fighting His plans. He knows the beginning from the end and what is just around the riverbend! By being still in prayer, I can discern the path God wants me to take.
Of course, in life, there are rapids! Jesus told us in this world we would have trouble. Yet, when the water gets rough, we can maneuver safely, remembering that Jesus also overcame this troublesome world.
TRUSTING SOMEONE OTHER THAN SELF
In the Western world, we are taught to trust in our abilities and intellect. How many times have we heard our dads and grandpas say,
“If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.”
But Father God wants us to trust in Him alone.
Trust in Adonai with all your heart,
lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 TL
Learning to trust someone else with your life presents a challenge, especially someone you cannot see, like the Holy Spirit.
LEARNING TO LISTEN
The truth is I can trust God’s Holy Spirit to take care of me. He guides me along. I can trust Him to teach me when I am ignorant and remind me of God’s Word. He comforts my soul in distress and helps me in trouble. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the way we now fellowship with God, spirit to Spirit. He helps us pray. He gives us hope and joy and peace. He is the power of God in the earth, flowing like a river of Living Waters. He is also the Lifeguard who will pull us to safety when we get too close to sin. When we hear God’s voice, it is the voice of His Spirit.
(John 14, Ephesians 1, 4, Jude 1, Romans 8, 1 Thess, 2 Corinthians 13, Romans 15, Galatians 5, John 15, 16. & MORE!)
Like swimming, trusting the Holy Spirit requires practice. Hearing Him requires being still – even when floating down a river!
BE STILL
One of the first things they teach you in swimming lessons is how to float. The teacher holds you up on the surface of the water.
“Relax your body. Put your head back.
Be still and relax!”
Relaxing on top of water is counterintuitive. I never mastered it. Fear convinced me, I would sink and drown if I let go.
Yet letting go is what is necessary to flow with the Holy Spirit. Letting go means releasing control and trusting the goodness of God.
LETTING GO OF CONTROL
Control feeds on fear with a white-knuckle grip. Have you ever noticed, when you feel anxious or uneasy, the first instinct to to “take control?” We try to control circumstances, people and outcomes. Control sets us up to be in charge. It convinces us to take over God’s job. Control robs us of peace and feeds anxiety.
But Father God is on the throne and has everything under control. He works everything for the good of those that trust Him in this broken world. Romans 8:28.
God does not need me to control anything. Instead, He wants me to trust Him.
LETTING GO OF HURT
In my dream, I splashed and kicked, trying to protect myself from danger. Being raised in a violent home, I believed it was up to me to protect myself from harm.
But that was a lie. Father God preserved my life all the way through. Sometimes I still react to situations and anxiously self-protect, but I am learning to let go and trust God.
Flowing on God’s River challenges my sense of safety. Freely moving with His plan requires me to believe that He loves me, and I am protected from all evil. I can float.
It took decades, but I trained myself to believe that I am safe in God.
You are my hiding place –
You will protect me from distress.
You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7 TLV
No one can snatch me out of my Father’s hand and even in the shadow of death, I am safe. I have peace in Jesus. John 10 & Psalm 23
When fear stirs my heart and self-protection wants to take control, I make myself relax. And just like that swimming student, I float on God’s Word and remind myself that my Father will protect me and make beauty arise out of ashes.
LETTING GO OF FEAR
Fear is a river of its own. When that river converges with the River of the Holy Spirit, it poisons the waters. It carries sludge and toxins which stop the free flow of life and peace. Fear is against us.
Fear morphs into many varieties – fear of letting go, fear of trusting God, fear of authority, fear of making mistakes, fear of people, fear of being alone, fear of failure, fear of success, etc. Thousands of fears keep us fighting the River of God’s Spirit.
Have you ever identified a fear that causes you to stop and not move forward? Sometimes we struggle and thrash about, because the lies of fear are carrying us away from the current of God’s Spirit.
Father God is patient! He doesn’t resent us splashing and fighting the river. He knows we need to grow. He calls to us to be still so we can let go and trust Him in the moving waters.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
In stillness, we are safe. When Father God says:
“Be still and know that I am God.
I am exalted in the nations. I am exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:11 TLV
He is letting you know, that whatever comes your way, He is your God and He will handle it. When panic and fear strike, still your heart to hear your Father.
God is calling us to be still. As we learn to stop fighting the River, we float on the current of His Spirit and enjoy the ride!
And Jesus says, “Fear not! For I am with you.”
We should listen to Him.
❤️
I read somewhere that “fear not” shows up 366 times in the Bible. One for every day, including leap year.
What a great reminder. I don’t like to relinquish control either.