Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward after Loss and Heartache

by Granger Smith

According to Scripture, the Source of the river is in complete control of everything that happens downstream. If this is true, then the response to that knowledge could only be complete surrender, humility, and trust in His purpose.

All at once it occurred to me that we were asking the wrong prayer. In our time of desperation we were only pleading for our own earthly desires. We never considered God’s will. We were praying for control of our own boat in the immediate turbulence, but we never once asked for harmony with the river’s Source.

When we try to keep living on our own, we won’t have the strength to persevere through hardship. But when we, like a river, connect to the greater Source, when we surrender our lives to God and let the gospel take root in our hearts, we will be able to keep flowing downstream. When that happens, life looks less like struggling and more like surrendering.

I’ve come to realize that we need to be renewed day by day. It’s how we’re wired. The longer we drive around with a full fuel tank, the longer we don’t need to refuel at the station. And the longer we stay away from the station, the less connected we are with the Source.

loss is our teacher. Loss reminds us that nothing here is permanent. When we spend all our time clinging to something, trying to control and preserve it, we miss out on the beauty of what God is doing in our lives. Like navigating a river, we need to let go, surrender, and trust that God’s plan for our lives is better than our plan.

Generally, self-help teaches that the problem is outside us and the solution comes from within. The Bible teaches that the problem comes from within and the solution is outside us.