“He’ll Do To Ride The River With” In the days of the old West, that was the highest compliment one cowboy could give another: “Here is a man you can depend on . . . A fellow you can count on . . . A guy you can trust! . . . A man who has your back!
In fact, when that is said about another, nothing else needs to be said. It speaks of his character, his integrity, his honor.
I’m not sure where that saying came from, but I assume it came from the days of the long trail drives when drovers were pushing cattle to railheads in places like Abilene, Dodge City, Wichita and Cheyenne. It was hard and hazardous work with long hours in the saddle. To survive the cowboys had to learn to depend upon one another; to know someone had their back.
And then there were the river crossings, lots of them. Rivers like the Arkansas River, the Red River, the Platte and the Gila. Each was dangerous, each was always treacherous. The author of “Crossing Rio Pecos,” in the opening chapter writes, “The story of the Rio Pecos in frontier Texas is really the story of its river crossings. “The crossings,” he wrote, “frequently flowed red with blood.”
And another wrote, “On the trail cowboys encountered the boredom and dangers of riding herd on more that 1000 head of cattle. Cowboys ran into unpredictable weather. There were also rattlesnakes, stampedes and Indians.” Then he spoke of the river crossings, writing as though it was a dreaded word. “Crossing treacherous rivers,” he wrote, “some cowboys and cattle drowned.”
A wrangler needed grit and guts to survive a trail drive. But he needed more than that. He needed other partners just as tough and dependable as he was; those whom he could trust, those he could rely on. His very life depended on that drover who rode next to him. He needed someone he could ride the river with.
Do we have someone we can ride the river with? Yes! His name is Jesus. In fact, the Bible talks about a time when He literally and actually rode the river (well, really it was the Sea of Galilee) with His disciples. You can read about it in Mark 4:35-41.
Mark, the writer of the Gospel tells about Jesus riding in a fishing boat with His disciples. They are crossing the Sea of Galilee. He records that while in the boat, Jesus falls fast asleep. A storm suddenly erupts on the sea. It threatens to capsize the boat and the disciples feared for their lives.
In a panic, they woke Jesus, who by-the-way was still asleep during the raging storm and said to Him, “Don’t you care that we are going to die?” Then He did the most amazing thing. He stood and spoke to the wind and the sea: “Hush wind!” “Be still sea!” And there was an immediate calm.
I believe that those partners who rode in the boat with Jesus that day could truly say about Him, “He’ll Do To Ride The River With!”And so can we!
You can be assured, dear child of God that whatever rivers you may have to cross or storms that may cone into your life, Jesus will be right there with you. He will see your safely through. He’ll Do To Ride The River With!
The Old Testament prophet writes, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10