The River Bears All Away

The moonlight is shining so brightly tonight. I wish I was sitting with my husband by the river in the moonlight.

We usually walk morning and evening along the river.

There’s something peaceful about a river.

Twice in the book of Isaiah there’s a reference to to this:  “your peace would have been like a river” (Isaiah 48:18) and “I will extend peace to her like a river” (Isaiah 66:12).

That powerful old hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” begins “When peace like a river attendeth my way…  “

Tonight I’ve been thinking about the third verse:

My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part, but the whole, 
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

I remember when one of my students years ago was overcome by the symbolism of the crucifixion scene in the movie “Ben Hur”. We watched in awed silence the scene where Jesus hangs on the cross and it begins to rain. But as the rain mingled with Jesus’ blood and flowed into the river my student began to exclaim over the wonder of it. Our sins are borne away – like the river!

Glorious thought indeed!