If you can, imagine that the direction and will of God are moving in a given course like a mighty River. You want to move in the same direction that God is moving, so you get into the River. When you are in the River, you start learning how the River works - how it flows, the direction it is going. You learn not to fight it if you want to end up where the River is going. You flow with it.



You meet people swimming like crazy, splashing, fighting, and mad because they are going up-stream against the River. They are angry and wonder why it is so difficult. Then the thought occurs that the problem is that the River should be flowing in the direction they are going. However, it's not, and of course, it won't be. So, they keep fighting, stay angry, and eventually simply believe the River doesn't exist. Even the salmon know the reason they are fighting and struggling up the river is to simply go back to their birthplace and die.

You on the other hand, are rapidly moving to the promised end with the River. You go through rapids and whirlpools but having learned what the River is, you are able to use the strength of the River to propel you down stream even faster. You know you are in the will of God. You have gotten into the River and learned about God from God. You now have His strength to propel you forward to that distant Ocean.

When we enter the River, we find different boats with which to make the journey. The boats are there for us because the River knows what we could handle to get safely to the Ocean. The problem is we think we should have a different boat. We spend a lot of time meandering around the river trying to make the boat we want work for us.

Sometimes the boat is too small for our size and we get top-heavy and tip over. We get up and try again only to keep struggling just to stay upright. We make it, but what a struggle it has been. Sometimes, and often, we want that big boat and get in it only to find that it really is too big for us and we don't have a way to steer it very well. We run around inside the hull trying to make it go where we want. But, instead, the boat takes us where it wants to go.

In the River, we often run into man-made locks that we think will keep us from getting to the Ocean but they do not. They can slow us down, and usually do. However, eventually as we learn from the River and if we work with the River, we get through the locks and on to the ocean.

Some people do not want to take the River and think they will get to the Ocean by clawing, scraping, climbing mountains, and forging through valleys. In trying to conquer the next mountain, they never make it to the River or the Ocean. Sometimes, unfortunately the people climbing the mountains find they need to keep climbing more mountains and get in a very hard, craggy, unforgiving circle from mountain to mountain. Once-in-a-while, though, a person might be on top of the mountain and become part of the snow that melts into the stream, which joins the River, which gets to the Ocean.

So, what is God's will? God's will is that River flowing to the Ocean. It is not going to change direction for us. It has a destination and a planned course. The River offers everyone the opportunity to get in and go. It is an exciting trip and can go along pretty well if we are willing to use the boat that was created for us. There are many tributaries leading to the River but there is only One River that gets to the Ocean.

Climbing mountains and battling through valleys doesn't necessarily get us to the Ocean. Getting in the River will. We just need to accept and learn the River, then work with the River to get to the Ocean.