HEARTBEAT WATERS

Many miles upstream from its confluence with the mighty Columbia River, our local Wenatchee River crashes through what's called the “Tumwater Canyon,” so named from a Chinook term for “heartbeat water” or rapids. Mammoth rocks smoothed by centuries of flows, plus logjams, make this formidable for those who'd dare to conquer them by kayak or raft. Some have lost their lives there.

From safe viewpoints just off the road I admire the view and listen to the roar. And often I think of Isaiah 43:2:

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

This verse is not intended as a weather report or safety evaluation. Instead, it's an expression of God's tender love to His chosen people even through the wars and deportation they would suffer for straying from Him. He would be with them. He would bring them through.

The person who wrote study notes for one of my Bibles applied it this way: “Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to drown or force you to grow stronger. If you go in your own strength, you are more likely to drown. If you invite the Lord to go with you, he will protect you.” (1)

From another study-notes Bible came this observation: “Just as the Lord brought the Hebrew slaves safely through the waters of the sea [Ex. 14:1-31], so He would continue to bring His people “through” when they encountered troubled times.” (2)

The river in this photo runs west of my hometown, emptying into the mighty Columbia River, which runs south before turning west to the Pacific Ocean. Once swift and energetic, it's now like a series of gently-flowing lakes, divided by hydroelectric dams. But it retains its centuries-old role as a water source for wildlife. All along the highways running north are signs saying “High Kill Area” with a silhouette of a deer. Indeed, sometimes when traveling that highway we see a deer carcass right after skid marks, a sad statement of bad timing for quenching thirst.

It's not lost on me that right now the world is going through a “high kill area” with the coronavirus pandemic. It's lethal, it's scary. You take the advised precautions of masking, isolating, and cleaning and hope it's enough to keep you on earth a little longer.

But we can't live in constant fear. We need to live with wisdom and precaution. But we also need to remember that none of this is a surprise to God. As we pass through these turbulent global health waters, some will die. Some will suffer greatly physically. But that does not change the nature of God. His plan doesn't end on earth or at a cemetery. His plan included stops at a stable-turned-delivery room, included three years of earth-jolting ministry, and paused at a cross before returning to Heaven. The pandemic isn't just about quarantines, masks, and vaccines; it's ALSO about being ready for the eternal journey to Him.

1. Life Application Study Bible—NLT (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1996), p, 1094.

2. The Woman's Study Bible—New KJV (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), p. 1194.