The Flow of His Will
By: Scott Tolhurst
There are various ways to get to Richmond BC. You could fly to Vancouver YVR or navigate the least congested highway, or even better, take the commuter train. But, the surest route is also the oldest. If you float down the Fraser River, you will be deposited at Richmond. The Fraser begins its 1,400 km trek in north eastern BC and rambles through mountains and farmland to arrive at the ocean. It may not be the fastest means, but as I say, it is the most reliable. Planes get delayed and roads can be parking lots. But the Fraser has never been cancelled and flows no matter what. If for assurance, you choose the watery route, you will have to accept a measure of variance. The currents are not predicable. There can be headwinds or sandy shoals. It will probably take longer than you wish. But if you have the patience, the Fraser will get you to your destination - every time. And in that sense, it reflects the will of God.
Our lives are complicated. We have so many options and too many paths. How can we be assured that we will reach the destination God has for us? The wisdom of Proverbs reminds us to trust God. Submit to Him and He will make our paths straight. (Prov.3:5,6) In other words, God will get us to the right place as we lean into His will. I do not need to know the path. I need to know the Lord. My paths will then be straight. A straight path is not always an easy one. It may not be the fastest, nor the one preferred by people around us. But it is our path, made clear to us by the grace and will of God. That’s why it is like the Fraser.
A river has banks - boundaries on the left and right hand. Between these borders, I have plenty of freedom. I can make decisions. I may paddle hard or let the current carry me. I might stop for a light lunch or pause for days of respite. There are choices, but all my choices are confined by the river. There will be shifting circumstances on the river, sunbeams, showers and snow. The fellowship of other travelers or the silence of being alone. I may feel confounded by the river. What’s around the bend of the river? How long will this take? But regardless of conditions or confusion, the river will take me to my destination. It never fails.
These thoughts were planted by the shifting details of our pandemic. Every day something changes. Plans are made and then canceled. Questions are asked without clear answers. We struggle with what we can do or should do. We guess at, “How long? What will be?” And God whispers, “Lean not on your own understanding. Trust Me.” Out of the much I don’t know, but want to, this is clear: Let the current of God’s will carry us. Float with faith. He will get us where we are to go. Every time. All of us. All the way to heaven.