There are rivers. And then, there are rivers! Rivers that are more like large streams and almost run dry in the summer months, and rivers which, at certain points, you can barely see across as they eventually end up pouring millions of gallons of runoff into the ocean regardless of the time of year. Rivers for catching fish, and rivers for shipping containers. Yeah, there are rivers. And then, there are rivers! This morning I’m pretty sure I’m reading about the latter and not the former.

How precious is Your steadfast love, O God!
       The children of mankind take refuge in
              the shadow of Your wings.
They feast on the abundance of Your house,
       and You give them drink from the river of Your delights.
For with You is the fountain of life;
       in Your light do we see light.

(Psalm 36:7-9 ESV)

The river of Your delights . . . That’s the river I’m noodling on this morning.

Rivers are kind of a big deal in the biblical story. It began amidst a river (Gen. 2:10), and it’s gonna end around a river (Rev. 22:1-2). And in between, guess what? There’s a river. A river of God’s delights.

A river — a torrent, a flood. Of His delights — His luxurious pleasures. There’s a river and He’s made it available for the children of mankind to drink from.

What does drinking from the river of God’s delights look like? Sampling? Sipping? Conserving? Or is it, chugging, gulping, and gorging? Is it, as Peterson puts it, filling our tankards? (With non-alcoholic beverages of course)

What does it taste like? Bitter? Blah? Like taking my medicine? Or is it intoxicating? Addicting? Tasting so good that you can’t stop and run the risk of drowning in it?

Like I said before, I’m leaning to the latter rather than the former.

If it’s God’s river, there’s no scarcity. So, why am I so often more of a sampler than a swigger?

If it’s God’s river of delights, then why do I so often act like I’ve sucked on a lemon rather than plunged into something “sweeter than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10)? Why is it more like sipping on hot tea after a funeral than hoisting one high at an Oktoberfest?

There is a river. A here and now river. An overflowing river. A thirst-quenching river. A river of God’s delights. A fountain of life. A river of living water.

Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this He said about the Spirit.

(John 7:37b-39a ESV)

Yup . . . there are rivers. And then, there’s a river! The river of God’s delights!

So, let’s fill our tankards!

By His grace. For His glory.