Hang On

“You always have God’s presence. For hasn’t he promised you, ‘I will never leave you, never! And I will not loosen my grip on your life!’ So we can say with great confidence: ‘I know the Lord is for me and I will never be afraid…’” (Heberews 13:5-6 TPT)

I’ve only been whitewater rafting once. It was adventurous, but NOT fun! A group of us had driven down to the rafting company’s office. On our way in, I saw a woman crying near a fire pit. She had fallen off a raft and was now trying to warm up. This was not a good omen. Everyone in our group had to sign a bunch of liability waivers and then put on rented wetsuits and life jackets. None of us had any experience with rafting. Some of us couldn’t even swim. What were we thinking? The rafting company provided us with a ‘guide’. He was a lean young man with long hair. He wore shorts but had no shirt. I watched him as he sat in a corner eating a granola bar. Let’s just say, he did not make me feel any more confident about what I was about to do. Once we got on the raft, he instructed us to ‘hang on’ --and leave the rest up to him. For the next few hours, we went down a rushing river with treacherous rocks and water spraying in our faces. True to his word, the guide navigated us through the whitewater rapids. He did all the work. All we had to do was hang on tight and not fall out of the raft. It would be delusional for me to imagine that I had gotten myself through that raging river.  

Our journey through life can often feel like a whitewater adventure. The Lord is our guide. He has promised to always be with us and never abandon us. He will navigate us over treacherous rocks and through rushing waters.  All we have to do is hang on tight and leave the rest up to Him. 

Each time God guides us through a trial, we become more aware of His power and dependability. Unless, of course, we are delusional. If we imagine that we got ourselves through the hard times by our own abilities and good choices, we miss out on the valuable lessons of faith. The more we acknowledge God’s presence in our lives, the more confidence we develop in His providence. The more we get to know Him, the better we learn to trust Him. 

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;” (Isaiah 43:1-2 ESV)