My wife, Linda, is from Norway, and so much of my life has been influenced by and defined by that culture since our marriage. When her grandmother, whom I loved dearly, died years ago, we traveled to Norway for her funeral. While in Norway I joined some of her Norwegian family as we took a small boat down a deep and gigantic fjord near Haugesund on the southwestern shore of Norway. As we came closer and closer to the harbor and the Atlantic Ocean we could see two different currents running in opposite directions on top of each other. As we came down the fiord the waters from the fiord were running out of the fiord towards the Atlantic underneath the ocean waters that were moving up into the fiord. The fiord water ran south into the ocean while the ocean waters ran north into the fiord.
I have often thought of this experience especially recalling the different species of fish in the water swimming on top of each other while heading in opposite directions. In my life I often see myself in these waters, hindering God, and swimming in the opposite direction of His current in my life. While God is pulling me into His current, I am below Him heading out in the opposite direction! I feel like a blind man searching for my own direction in life.
When this happens this is my prayer:
Oh Lord, give me a faith that is alive and lively!
Penetrate my soul with the fires of your Divine Love!
Redeem me from lost time and lost opportunities to serve You,
for perhaps I have little time left!
Like everyone, death follows us all closely,
and so I pray for Your mercy and love
that I may live the remaining days and hours of my life
preparing for that moment when I will die but once.
May I not miscarry and lose irretrievably eternal life with You.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“But God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’” Genesis 3:3.
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” Genesis 12:1-3.
“But showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” Exodus 20:6.
“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption”
Psalm 16:10.
“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:48.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many” Matthew 7:13.
“And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched’” Mark 9:43-48.
“And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables”
John 2:15.
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