Where the River Begins -- Cindy Sproles

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

I climbed the steep bluff, my boots slipped on piles of wet leaves. I never used to fall when I hiked. These days I find myself on the ground looking up more than I care to admit. But today, I was going to the top, even if I had to crawl. I wanted to find the source.

There is great solitude in the forest and I love exploring the mysteries that hide beneath the fallen foliage. The beauty in a mushroom jutting from a stand of moss, or the tender shoots of tiny green plants popping through the moist dirt, force me to ask, how can you NOT believe in God?

I pushed my fingers through the roots that raised above the ground to steady myself. The top of the mountain was in sight. I’d dreamed about the river and wondered could I find where the water begins?

It must begin from the highest point of Mount LeConte. And as I followed the rocks that trailed up and over the ridge, question after question filled my mind. How does God do it? How does He decide, “Here is where the river begins.” Still the closer I came to the summit the more the river eluded me, twisting and turning to places that were impossible for me to reach.

At the crest of the mountain I rested against a boulder. There, as I gazed across the valley below, I realized where the river begins. Uncanny that I had to continue to climb upward—upward toward my Father in heaven; and that it took me this long to understand the real river, the river of life, lies within the heart of God. He is the beginning. He is where the water flows from. And it’s His water that washes away my sin—His water that offers eternal life.

Living water.

I never found where the river started, at least not the one I could dip my feet into. But I did climb the summit and find that God is my source. Without Him I cannot survive. When I thirst, He quenches.

Do you wonder where the river begins? Search for the Father and there you will find where the water bubbles. He is the source.

Christian Devotions

Cindy Sproles co-writes with
Eddie Jones, the popular
He Said, She Said devotions.
They are friends and co-founders
of ChristianDevotions.us.