There Is a River

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

—Psalm 46:4-5

Water is portrayed in several different ways in the scriptures, ranging from destructive chaos to wisdom and order. And here in Psalm 46, we see these two extremes. It opens with the raging seas in verses 2-3, but here in verse 4, we already see the happy calm of the river of God.

The theology here is as reassuring as the geography is questionable. Water is water. But without God, it is an angry force to be feared. While under God's influence, it is gladdening and protective.

And so it is with my life. Though I doubt God is ever actually absent, I sometimes fail to acknowledge God's presence, instead feeling chaotic and hopeless. But handed over to God's power, my life is hopeful and ordered.

Order my life according to your will, Lord, that I may be delivered from the chaos of the world into the city of God. I pray in the Name of the One who taught me to say: Our Father...