CONFLUENCE

August 15, 2024

A bunch of years ago, another dad in our church and I took our sons on a multi-day backpacking trip to the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico.

The boys were all in their double digits, but not yet in their teens. We filled our time on the trip with great talks around campfires, elk and horned toad sightings, challenging hiking, and tolerable food.

Along the way, we pondered the great questions of life: “What plant is this? What bird is that? Where did the trail go? Why aren’t there more trail markers in this stupid forest? Why does every bush in New Mexico have thorns? Why are the toes of my socks red?”

As we were hiking up a canyon one day, one of the boys asked, “What would happen if a stream was running down one side of a mountain into a canyon and joined the river that was flowing down the canyon?”

The other dad answered. “Those two streams would join and form a more powerful river.” On this trip, we saw that happen a few times. Smaller creeks converged, creating a larger river downstream.

We did notice, too, that when two streams joined, it was not an immediately happy union.

At the point of confluence there was chaos and disruption. Both streams seemed to have minds of their own, and it wasn’t until they had traveled together for a while that things settled down and became that “more powerful river.”

In the years since that camping trip, I’ve had cause to reflect on the themes of confluence, convergence, and disruption and the power that results.

Through the workings of the natural world God provides insight into His ways. The parable of converging rivers brings us one of His powerful lessons.

I’ll touch on merging rivers as they relate to two arenas of life. First, with respect to relationships.

Strong relationships are frequently forged and are often strengthened through the chaos of confluence.

My life moves smoothly from thing to thing and from project to project. That is, until someone comes along who has a different opinion or perspective about how I am proceeding on this or that project.

Proverbs 27:17 reminds me that as “iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

I’ll get sharper if I listen to the perspective of my friend, my Care Group partner, my fellow Elder, my neighbor, my wife.

The disruption at the moment of disagreement may well be messy. Working through it will result in a more powerful partnership downstream.

A season of persevering conflict can be a precursor to a season of intimacy for a husband and wife. A breakthrough may come to a friendship after the wrestling match of a disagreement.

When two people do life together, it is not unusual to find the chaos of convergence prior to a more powerful union.

Second, the parable of merging rivers speaks to how God transforms our character and makes us more like Jesus.

When you encounter a trial or a trouble (James 1:2-4), or when God opens your eyes to see a side of you – an ugly, sinful side – that you haven’t seen before (Psalm 139:23-24), the initial result may be more turbulence than strength.

What is actually the transforming work of the Spirit may appear at first to be nothing but messy disruption. Don’t worry.

The increased power comes later, downstream from the turbulence caused by the confluence of your life with pain and painful insight.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this in Romans. After exulting in the glory of our justification before God on the basis of faith in Jesus, he shifted to the theme of sanctification.

[Romans 5:3]And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; [4] and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; [5] and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Here is the message of the merging rivers: Increased power often comes at the cost of temporary upheaval.

Let’s not back away from relational conflicts or shy away from exploring the fullness of God’s truth about us.

God uses the tools of confluence and disruption to forge a more powerful, Jesus-centered life downstream.

Yours…His,

Dave