Steady, Constant, Unending
Have you ever stood beside a roaring waterfall and felt its power reverberate through your entire body?
I experienced that feeling firsthand while visiting the Golan Heights region near the base of Mount Hermon, where I took this photograph of one of the waterfalls that feeds the headwaters of the Jordan River.
As I stood there listening to the thunder of the rushing water, I couldn't help but think of Psalm 42. The psalmist tells us he was in this same general region when he wrote:
"I remember You from the land of the Jordan and the heights of Hermon..." (Psalm 42:6)
I want to clarify: When Psalm 42 was written, there was no modern nation of Jordan. The phrase "land of the Jordan" refers to the Jordan River region itself, not the present-day country of Jordan. This places the psalmist in the vicinity of Mount Hermon and the headwaters of the Jordan River—the very area where these waterfalls continue to flow today.
Then he adds:
"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me" (Psalm 42:7).
The psalmist was overwhelmed. He felt as though wave after wave of difficulty was crashing over him. Yet what strikes me most about this passage is not the depth of his sorrow, but the depth of God's faithfulness.
Standing beside these waterfalls, it is easy to see why they became such a powerful illustration. The water flows continuously because it is fed by a dependable source. In the same way, God's faithfulness never runs dry. Circumstances change. Emotions rise and fall. Trials come and go. But God remains constant.
Even in his darkest moments, the psalmist refused to let his circumstances define his view of God. Instead, he reminded himself to place his hope in the Lord because God's character had not changed.
Looking back on this scene, I am reminded that the roar of life's troubles is never louder than the faithfulness of God. The same God who sustained the psalmist continues to sustain you and me. God's unfailing love and faithfulness continue to flow—steady, constant, and unending.
