Got Any Rivers?

“Be of good courage” God spoke unto Joshua,
When o’er the river God pointed the way;
Jordan uncrossable, things seemed impossible,
Waters divide as they march and obey.

Chorus
Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible
And He can do what no other power can do.

Battles to win they would meet with their obstacles
Jericho’s walls too must fall to the ground;
God never failed He stood back of His promises,
Walls had to crumble as they marched around.

God is the same and His Word is dependable,
He’ll make a way through the water’s for you;
Life’s situations by Him are amendable,
Mountains and hills He will part for you too.

As a kid growing up at Southern Hills, this particular song was one of Brother Chambers’ favorites.  I remember this being one of the songs that was sung during the altar call at many Sunday night services.  It is the kind of song that reminds us to bring our problems to the Lord, even when we think they are impossible to fix.  I did not know, however, until recently that there were actually verses to this song.  The “Hymns of the Spirit” hymnal only contained the chorus, and that’s where I learned it, but I recently discovered that there were verses to this old song so I decided to include it in the hymn of the week. 

I wanted to comment on some attributes of God that the author writes about in this hymn:

• “God specializes” – When you have a physical problem, often times a doctor will refer you to go a specialist.  In the world of medicine, a specialist is one who studies a certain field, and has practiced in that area of medicine their entire career.  They are good at what they do.  If I am having problems with my eyes, I don’t want a “generalist” working on me.  I want an eye specialist.  The statement in this hymn is that God is a specialist in impossible things.  Parting the Red Sea – He can handle it.  Creating something from nothing – He can handle it.  Difficult family situations or a bad medical report – He can handle it.  He specializes in things thought impossible.

• “God never failed, He stood back of His promises” – I like the phrase that says “He stood back of His promises.”  When we deal so often with people that don’t keep their word, it is difficult to always comprehend the fact that God stands behind His promises.  The Word is filled with promises.  Promises regarding our salvation and eternal life.  Promises to bless us, and not to harm us.  It is important for us to remember these promises, but just as important is to understand that God will make good on those promises too.

Several years ago, there was a successful marketing campaign encouraging people to drink more milk.  The theme of the campaign was “Got Milk?”  The various print ads and commercials had well-known celebrities touting the benefits of milk by saying “Got Milk?” while holding up a tall glass of cold milk and Oreo cookies (I’m hungry already).  This advertising theme has since been co-opted by athletic programs around the country.  For example, University of Alabama fans have shirts that say “Got 12?” in reference to their 12 fictitious national championships.   Oklahoma football fans have shirts that say “Got 7?”  in reference to their 7 undisputed national titles.  I even recently saw an orange shirt that said “Got 107,000?”  in reference to the number of people that can fit in Neyland stadium in Knoxville. 

No matter what athletic program you are talking about, those kinds of shirts display a sense of pride, or maybe arrogance, because they are claiming to have something others don’t.  More wins, more national championships, more fans.  The hymn this week also has a “Got” question – “Got any rivers?”  This question, on the other hand, does not come from a sense of pride or arrogance, but from a position of confidence.  Not a confidence in one’s own personal skill or ability, but a confidence in God.  Our God who can do the impossible.  Our God that is limitless and all-powerful.  Our God who doesn’t change.  Our God that delivered the Hebrews in the days of the Old Testament, and our God that delivers us today.

So today, if your answer to the questions of “Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?” or “Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?” is “Yes,” I encourage you to pick up the Word, find an “unbelievable” story about God’s miraculous power, and be reminded that He can do great and mighty things.  He can do things that are hard for us to imagine.  Then, as you are going through your tough situation, understand that God loves you and is concerned about you, and remind yourself that “He can do what no other power can do.”  Got it?