"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters." Psa. 23:1,2.
No, riparian is not the name of a country; it is one kind of beauty spot the Creator has arranged in many lands, hidden away from general view.
A stream of clear, cool water makes its way around the slopes of a hill or quietly winds its course through a flat area where banks are green the year round with grass and brush. Tall trees stretch out their branches and often meet overhead with those from the opposite bank. This is called a riparian area.
What lovely places these are quiet and peaceful with the sun peeking through the leaves and sparkling here and there on the stream. The riparian area is the home of many fish as well as a resting place for those migrating upstream to lay their eggs. It is also a favorite place with small animals, such as squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, gophers, etc., as well as with numerous birds calling back and forth. It is a safe place for them all hidden from their larger enemies, including birds of prey searching out in the open.
A visitor sitting quietly near the stream will soon see or hear these residents and perhaps get a glimpse of a mother deer with her little fawn, a coyote, fox or even a bobcat coming to drink in the cool, clear stream.
Sports fishermen love these places, too, as do campers, not only for catching trout and salmon, but because of the soothing and restful surroundings. They enjoy the pleasant calls of so many birds and lovely displays of ferns, flowers and other plants, many of which take on added beauty in the autumn time.
What a beautiful picture the stream presents as it moves through the riparian area—sometimes in a series of small white cascades, but more often quietly gliding through more level areas, where it is like the "still waters" referred to in the opening verse.
Perhaps the Psalmist was enjoying a riparian visit when he also wrote: "He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field.... By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches." Psa. 104:10-12.
When you have an opportunity to visit such a place as this, be sure to think of the One who created it and who also provides you with many blessings in your life. And be sure to thank Him often for His wonderful ways and love to you.