I spent the day today out in Squamish, BC (a little way up the Sea to Sky Highway towards Whistler, for those from out of town). Beautiful!!

While there I was able to spend some time down by the river. I love the water. Generally speaking, having grown up in North Vancouver, "down by the water" is not really "the" water unless it's the ocean. But fast-moving rivers are a close second. I was able to sit down on some rocks right at the water's edge at a really rapid, wide part of the river and watch it fly by me.

There's something about water that is peaceful to me, even when it's a river running so rapidly or a waterfall or huge crashing ocean waves. There is something about water that reminds me of God and makes me more aware of His presence. I have recently told a friend that I am most at peace when I am near water. He, in all his wit, said that this means I should always have a glass of water in front of me. Well, not quite what I meant.....

Today at the river's edge I couldn't help thinking again of a couple of favourite passages of scripture: Revelation 22 and the river that flows from the throne, and Ezekiel 47, where Ezekiel experiences walking into that river. Can you imagine? Walking into the river that flows from the throne of God. The river that feeds the trees that bear fruit every month and whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. That river.

As I was watching the river and its power fly by, I noticed a tree on the side, some of its branches kind of drooped towards the water. Some leaves were dunked in the water, tossed around as the river moved, but drenched and rarely coming up out of the water for long. Some were touching the water as it came closer to them - as the river became more violent and reached upwards, they would get wet, but not much. Some branches were not particularly leaning towards the water, and some were stretching up towards the sky instead.

It reminded me again of who I want to be near the river of God. I don't want to be carelessly drooping somewhere near the water but never being in it, and I certainly don't want to be the branches so oblivious to the water that I'm reaching for the sky instead. I don't even want to be the "sometimes wet" leaves that get a semi-dunking only when the water reaches out to them. I want to be those leaves that even though they are tossed about, they are drenched in that river all the time. Drenched in the river of the water of life - the river that comes from the throne of God. I want to be drenched in the presence of the Lord. I want to be so desperate that I will let myself be thrown about in it just to experience it so fully and so consistently.

Desperation is a word that the Lord spoke in our worship gathering on Sunday morning. Desperation. He is longing for us to be desperate for Him. He is a passionate lover. He is pursuing us. He is power and life and refreshment and strength. He is salvation. He is the King. And He is ours.

I am desperate. If I drown for it, I want to be drenched in the presence of the Lord Almighty.


Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:1-12)

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1-2)