Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: SWIM (07/21/22)
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TITLE: It Is Our Choice | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Fahy
07/27/22 -
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It was a warm, July Sunday morning when I attended church for the first time in awhile. I felt the preacher delivered his message just to me. As if I was the only one in the worship center. After Church I spoke with a deacon and he invited me to his bible study the following week. After two months, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and two weeks after that I was baptized.
The salmon face other obstacles besides the river current and rocks. An eagle can swoop down on its prey at 200MPH. Or a bear may be standing in the stream waiting for the right moment to swipe at a passing fish with its four inch claws. Another obstacle the salmon face is the fishermen and their over fishing. Unfortunately, these fish are defenseless against these obstacles.
As we grow in our faith, we are going to face different types of adversity. Adversity in areas of finance, health and relationships. I even received pushback from family and friends. No matter what adversities enter our life we have the Holy Spirit with us. The Holy Spirit is there to guide us through the challenges we encounter.
Salmon go through stages of nourishment. Initially, they have a yolk sac from the egg that provides nutrition. When this is exhausted, they move on to plankton. The next stage is insects. The salmon stay in the streams for about three years. While in the stream salmon pick up certain scents that will help them to return after spending about four years in the ocean.
Many men assisted me in growing toward the Lord. I had much to learn about our great God and how to live the way he wants me to live. This takes time. One Peter 2:2 explains it well, “Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you grow up in your salvation.” NIV. We do this by studying the Word, worship and surrounding ourselves with other believers. This combination opens doors and to a new perspective on how to live. We find what God’s will is for us.
Once grown the salmon migrate down the stream to the ocean. During this journey, they pick up different scents. These scents are guides to help them navigate back to their spawning grounds. They will live in the ocean for up to four years before they return back to their fresh water spawning grounds. The male salmon and most of the female will die within a week after they spawn. Only about five percent of the females will make it back to the ocean. These decomposed bodies will provide nutrients for the stream. These nutrients contribute to growth and helps maintain life in the area.
As the composed bodies of the salmon provide nutrients for the stream, God’s word supplies us with spiritual nutrients such as love, peace and joy. These nutrients will help us grow toward Him and allow us to live a life beyond our imagination. By sharing God’s Word, we can lead others to a life beyond their dreams. Salmon don’t have a choice they live by instinct. As many have done, we can swim toward Jesus and eternal life but that is our choice.
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Well said and done,
Blessings~