Leadership
“Mark twain.”
In the days when steamboats plied America’s rivers, their captains took regular soundings to measure the river’s depth. Above all, captains feared running aground. Mark twain means “mark two fathoms” deep.
In 1910, Captain James A. Henderson, owner of the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati Packet Line, piloted his steamboat, THE VIRGINIA, toward the southern bank of the swelling Ohio River just downstream of Marietta, Ohio where he had a scheduled stop at the Willow Grove Store. By the time his men unloaded the goods and returned to the boat, the river had begun to recede. Within a few short minutes, Henderson found his boat resting on a small rise in a Kentucky cornfield.
For millennia, rivers served as mankind’s chief highways of commerce. From the Euphrates and the Nile, to the Danube, the Elbe and the Rhine, to the Mississippi, Ohio and Missouri, ships and boats have plied their rivers’ waters carrying people and cargo to their chosen destinations.
Rivers are mighty forces of nature. When they outrun their banks they can quickly wipe out towns and take lives. And when they run shallow, towns’ economies sometimes dry up and wither away.
The most powerful river in history is the River of God. Its source is found at God’s throne (Rev 22:1) and it flows out from under the threshold of God’s temple (Eze 47:1). It once passed through Eden, watering Eden’s garden (Gen 2:10). And its waters nourish the tree of life which brings healing to the nations (Rev 22:2).
Has the River of God coursed through time, from Abraham and Sarah to this very moment? Have saints like Paul and Augustine and Luther and Wesley navigated this River? Has the River of God conveyed the purpose, the will and the power of God through history?
If God’s will, purpose and power have been borne upon His River throughout history, then saints in the present-day Church are but Lilliputian voyagers on this ancient flow.
What keeps God’s River flowing in its predetermined path? In other words, to what banks does this mighty River conform? Are the banks named the Truth and the Spirit?
As sojourners on the River of God, we should aim to stay in the center of the flow. Let us not stray too close to either bank lest we become snagged on a rock or on a tree root or become inadvertently caught in an eddy. History swells with those whose faith shipwrecked because they did not abide in the center of God’s River flow.
Stagnant lagoons that pool outside the River’s flow present one of the greatest hazards. Travelers need to look out for the lagoons that form along the banks of the Truth—the lagoons of extreme fundamentalism, hyper-Calvinism, Reconstructionism and legalism. And we should also be on guard for the lagoons that form along the banks of the Spirit—the deadly lagoons of emotionalism, disorder, lawlessness and of seeking an experience with God over God himself.
Navigating the River of God is particularly treacherous during times of outpouring. When the River of God swells, rushing out of its banks on either side, Christians must take special care not to get grounded on dry land when the river recedes. Remember Captain Henderson and THE VIRGINIA.
Many are confused about the River of God. Scripture tells us that the River of God flows “out of” His throne, not towards it. Every river’s destination is the sea, which in Biblical imagery represents hell, separation from God and judgment. Perhaps we should consider the River of God in terms of the Sherwin Williams Paint logo—God’s glory covering the earth as the waters cover the sea (Is 11:9), washing all who touch it in His grace and goodness.
Modern river men no longer use sounding rods to test the water’s depth. Sonar now aids boatmen in maintaining their course. Christian leaders, particularly pastors, need to engage their “spiritual sonar” daily to ensure that they captain their flock toward the center of the River’s flow.
As we press forward toward our high calling in Christ, let us proceed with wisdom, judgment and discernment. Below is an excellent quote from a saint who lived in a different generation but who no doubt witnessed the same hazards and lagoons that threaten us today.
"Among the gifts of the Spirit scarcely one is of greater practical usefulness than the gift of discernment. This gift should be highly valued and frankly sought as being almost indispensable in these critical times. This gift will enable us to distinguish the chaff from the wheat and to divide the manifestations of the flesh from the operations of the Spirit."
A.W. Tozer
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1004 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Mark Weaver or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1004 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.