A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

The Lord says, "though your life may have seemed like a roller coaster, with mountain peaks and the deepest of valleys, He has given you the Spirit and is cutting through your desert and the wastelands of your life, and bringing you healing, refreshing, and direction towards your destiny where the abundance of waters await you."

As I was praying, the phrase “a river runs through it” dropped into my spirit. I was reminded of the 1992 movie with the same title. I won’t go into detail about the movie, nor would I presume to fully interpret the narrator’s final words. However, I began to reflect on what this phrase means to me and the quote:

“Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.”

As I searched for a Scripture for this devotional, the Lord led me to Isaiah 43:18–19:

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing: now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” [emphasis mine]

What a perfect passage for a new season in life!

Your “new thing” is not just coming—it is springing forth! Open your eyes of understanding and perceive that God is making a way in the midst of your dry place, a way that will refresh you and carry you into your future.

Sometimes life can feel dry, confusing, and exhausting. We may walk through seasons where we feel depleted, discouraged, or uncertain about the future. But rivers do not stop because rocks appear in their path. They continue flowing around obstacles, cutting through resistance, and moving steadily toward their destination.

The Spirit of God works the same way in our lives.

Rivers flow between mountains and through valleys. Though we may love the mountain peaks and wish we could stay there forever, it is often in the valleys where the water runs deepest.

The valleys of life can feel uncomfortable, lonely, and difficult, yet they are often the very places where God shapes us, refreshes us, and teaches us to depend upon Him. Mountains may inspire us, but rivers sustain us.

Even in low places, the river still flows.

Even in dry places, God knows how to bring refreshing. Even in wilderness seasons, He knows how to create pathways forward where none seem to exist. What looks barren to you is not barren to God. He specializes in causing life to spring up in impossible places.

Sometimes we pray for God to remove every difficult place, while God is actually trying to teach us how to keep flowing through them.

The river of God does not only refresh us—it carries us. It moves us toward healing, purpose, restoration, and destiny. And even when the journey feels difficult, His Spirit continues flowing beneath the surface, working in ways we cannot always see.

Life gets a little rocky sometimes, but “a river runs through it.”

Let the river of God’s Spirit spring up within you! Let the power of the living King move you toward a fulfilling life, no matter how difficult the journey may seem.

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