There Is a River

By John Walker

Such a one is like a tree planted near streams; it bears fruit in season and its leaves never wither, and every project succeeds. Psalm 1:3.

There is a river that flows from the throne of God, down the celestial main street and into the hearts of those who believe in the Lamb (Revelation 22); the river then flows like streams of living water through those who are one with Jesus.

We hear the river whisper, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37). We feel its moisture hanging cool in the air, and we stretch and then we stretch again to reach the river’s edge.

It woos us to dwell within it, to dig deep with determined roots, gnarled fingers inching, bit by bit, toward the source of life.

Rooted at the river, we stand firm against the storms and we sip sweetly in times of drought, even as others burn up or blow away when faced with the dry and dusty, now-and-now of life.

Nourished by the river of life, the fruit we produce is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).