Joy in the Shadows

"Living water will flow...in summer and in winter." Zechariah 14:8

The streams of the living water which flow from Jerusalem are not dried up by the parching heat of sultry midsummer any more than they are frozen by the colds winds of blustering winter. Rejoice, O my soul, that you are spared to testify to the faithfulness of the Lord. The seasons change and you change, but your Lord is the stays the same forever, and the streams of his love are as deep and as broad and as full as ever. The heat of business cares and scorching trials make me need the cooling influence of the river of his grace; I may go at once and drink to the full from the inexhaustible fountain, for in summer and in winter it pours forth its flood. The upper springs are never scanty, and blessed be the name of the Lord, the lower springs cannot fail either. Elijah found that the brook Cherith dried up, but Jehovah was still the same God of providence. Job said that his brothers were like deceitful brooks, but he found his God as overflowing river of consolation. The Nile is the greatest confidence of Egypt, but its floods are variable; our Lord is the same forever. By turning the course of the Euphrates, Cyrus took the city of Babylon, but no power, human or infernal, can divert the current of divine grace. All of the tracks of ancient rivers have been found dry, but the streams which take their rise on the mountains of divine sovereignty and infinite love shall ever be full to the brim. Generations melt away, but the course of grace is unaltered. The river of God may sing with greater truth than the brook in the poem, "Men may come, and men my go, But I go on for ever." How happy my soul to be led beside such still waters! Never wander to other streams, lest you hear the Lord's rebuke, "Now why go to Egypt to drink from the water of Shihor?" Charles Spurgeon


So many times I tremble at change, even good change scares me. Why? Two reasons, pride and unbelief. Pride in thinking that if the situation looked different, if it looked the way I wanted it to, things would be okay. Unbelief in thinking God isn't doing this for my good and his glory. I can say, "This circumstance is for my good and his glory," but in the glare of trials, it is hard to believe it, to cling to it, to find Jesus' death and life in that truth and recapture my joy in him. I had a really rough last few days and looking back, I see that it was only rough because of me. The circumstances surrounding my internal struggle were full of hope where I only perceived despair. Rather than believing that what was happening was really the best thing that could be happening to me because it was God's will in my life, I just thought I was messing everything up over and over again. But God, being rich in mercy, so sweetly drew me back to his arms. He reminded me that his peace doesn't change. I can change, my little world can shatter, my plans and thoughts and feelings can all shift, but he is unshakable and his grace is freely flowing. His help is like a river pouring out from heaven, clothing my life in immeasurable goodness. When I remember that, I can look at this tiny struggle, (a struggle you all would laugh at if you knew what it was, ha!) and see that it will change, it will pass but God's goodness will be revealed through it and in it and then, when everything is said and done, I will still have that river of life filling me with fresh grace, if only I ask.