Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isaiah 55:1-2
More than ten years before Lewis and Clark made their journey across the American continent to the Pacific Ocean in their survey of the land America had obtained in the Louisiana Purchase, Canadian explorer Alexander Mackenzie had already reached the west coast of Canada. Though history remembers him as a great explorer, Mackenzie largely regarded his efforts as a failure because he could not find a water passage that would lead directly to the coast. At one point, Mackenzie and his team spent weeks paddling along a large river, a river that now bears his name, only to find that it led to the Arctic Ocean rather than the Pacific. In his account of the trip, Alexander Mackenzie referred to it as the “River of Disappointment.” Mackenzie was not able to find the water route he sought, not because he did not work diligently, but because it does not exist.
All around us there are people devoting their lives to things that cannot provide lasting peace, happiness and joy. The thrills of this world may provide a temporary respite or measure of happiness, but at best they are fleeting. It was a recognition of this truth that motivated Moses to follow God rather than the world. “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:24-25). If we spend our lives searching for something that can never be what we are seeking we are destined for disappointment and will look back on our lives with regret.
