The River

You're standing at the edge of the river. You are so close to being united with our Father but your feet won't seem to move. You are tired from carrying your sin on your shoulders. You are exhausted from running faster than your heart can follow.

A lot of us struggle with trusting what we cannot see. A lot of us struggle with giving our lives to be a follower of Jesus. We stand on the edge of the river and desire with our hearts to go and be washed; yet it feels like our feet are cinder blocks. The thing is we are called to come. We are called to submerge ourselves in the water of life. And all we have to do is take a single step.

Still, fear lingers. Fear dominates us. We are afraid of what being a follower of Jesus might look like. How big of a dent it might make on our social life or the sacrifices that we might have to make. We might have to exchange the comfort of our homes for a straw mat in India or give up steak for foods we are afraid of.

We might actually have to pick up our crosses too.

Somewhere along the way we started believing that those things are bad things. That those things are too hard for us, that they’re heavy and would be burdensome. I’m here to tell you that the weight is not heavy. I want you to know that by taking that step of faith your burdens will be lifted. You will no longer be alone and you will suddenly have a Savior. A very real Savior. Sin will no longer be shackles around your ankles and darkness will no longer swallow you up.

It is worth putting one foot in front of the other and going deeper and deeper into the water with our Lord. It is worth feeling the bottom of the Jordan between your toes.

Sure with each step you give a little bit more of yourself away, but Jesus promises that with each step we gain more than we lose. We gain eternity with Him. We gain the best friend that we’ve ever had. We gain redemption. We gain joy. We gain peace.

So, step into the river. Close your eyes and trust the water to wash your blood stained life. Trust the man who stands on the river’s edge. His name is Jesus. Don’t worry if you’ll be able to find Him in the crowd. He’s the one waiting with His arms held out towards you. Front and center. With the biggest smile you’ve ever seen.

He whispers, “Go and tell the world what you’ve seen”.

And as you feel the warmth of his breath on your neck you’ll feel life sinking into your bones for the very first time.