“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city” (Revelation 22:1-2a NIV).
In 2004 I read an article by Walt Sutton entitled “Nine Core Tasks of a CEO.” One of those tasks, according to Mr. Sutton, is to “find and navigate the river of cash.” Since no business can operate for long without sufficient cash resources to fund its operations, the “river of cash” is a metaphor of those activities (such as sales, marketing, R & D) that result in the enterprise gaining enough money to survive.
So, what happens if the river of cash becomes a trickling stream or dry river bed? After all, the availability of money is never certain—were it certain, Mr. Sutton would have ignored its importance.
When the river runs dry, we feel anxiety. That is why the image of a flowing river of the water of life is so appealing. We each come to Christ because we find holes in our lives that only He can fill. For me, the pursuit of business success was the fool’s gold that sent me to Christ.
So it vexes me whenever, even now, I succumb to bouts of anxiety when my small business struggles. Such was the case this past week. Our sales, strong for all of 2013, became sluggish; our river of cash dried up unexpectedly and the evaporation came at a difficult time.
Driving to work I was vexed with myself—disappointed, really. Listening to the local Christian radio station, a song written by Laura Story came on—“What if your blessings come through raindrops? What if your healing comes through tears?” The words made an impact, reminding me of God’s presence in trials and in times of plenty, but my anxiety remained un-assuaged.
Then, at lunch, still holding onto my anxiety, I listened to a local pastor on the radio preach about David and Goliath and how we are to overcome giants in our lives. It was a very good message, gently delivered, but it did not sway my mood.
Late last night, angry with myself for lingering too long in doubt and anxiety, I sat with my Bible and upon opening it the page fell on Luke 9:41 where Jesus says, “O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?”
I had opened the Bible for encouragement—reminders of verses that have gotten me through other troubling times. This time, there were no gentle words in the passage before me. There was however, truth and love.
Jesus, having just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration, was greeted by a father concerned over his demon possessed son. The father had asked the Disciples to heal him, but they could not. Jesus could, and did, but in between the healing we have verse 41.
The story, as presented in Matthew and Mark, sheds more light on the situation. Matthew 17:20 records the Disciples failed because they “had so little faith.” Mark 9:17-29 shows us that even though the boy’s father struggled with faith, the “lack of prayer” on the Disciples part contributed to their failure.
Jesus’ rebuke is understandable in this regard: the Disciples, after three years with Him, surely knew the importance of prayer and faith to Jesus. Their inability to drive out the evil spirit was proof they had not prayed and they lacked faith. They might have uttered the words of prayer, they might have even invoked Jesus’ Name, but when the rubber hit the road, they wilted.
It was then I heard the rebuke directed not at them, but at me. I have loved Christ a long time. I have watched Him work in my life and in the lives of others. I know that material things do not bring joy or peace—only Christ does. Yet here I sat, still absorbed in an event that God will solve as He wants and I will be blessed by whatever is the outcome. I felt silly. I felt embarrassed.
But, my anxiety was gone.
At church on Wednesday night we discussed that Jesus is the embodiment of truth and love. Our pastor reminded us that messages of truth and love are not always perceived as sweet and kind, but they are for our good.
Consider the chronology of 24 hours in my life. How marvelous and kind Jesus was to bring into my life a sermon on truth and love, then a song about healing through teardrops, and then a sermon about facing giants, each of which should have been sufficient salve to my wounded spirit. And when stubbornness continued, how kind He was to speak truth and love to me in Luke 9:41.
When I came to Christ, I made a decision to navigate the river of life. It is a much greater river than the river of cash. Its source is Jesus. I trust Him with my soul and my life on earth in all its uncertainty.
My friends, God knows you. He knows your needs and He knows how to touch your spirit with His.
But more importantly, He is persistent.