Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read that the next king was Josiah who began to reign when he was only 8 year old. However, unlike previous kings, he was righteous and destroyed the idols and false worship out of the land. Even at a young age, he began seeking after God. 2 Chr. 34: 1-5 "Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem."

A verse in the D&C has special meaning to me because there was a time in my life, many years ago, when I was praying for something and asking the Lord, "When, WHEN, am I going to get what I'm praying for." I felt impressed to go to the scriptures and opened them up to this verse. Indeed, if I was wise and without sin, the Lord would order all things for my good as fast as I was able to receive them. I still had things I needed to do to prepare before I was ready for the blessings I was asking for. D&C 111: 11 "Therefore, be ye as wise as serpents and yet without sin; and I will order all things for your good, as fast as ye are able to receive them. Amen."

Some verses with a thought booklet remind us that we need to be reconciled with someone we've got unresolved problems with, or have hard feelings toward, before we can come before God and offer our gifts. Are we still angry with our spouse for something they said that hurt our feelings? Do we feel like strangling our child for the stupid thing they did? Are we upset with our neighbor, our co-worker, our friend? We need to clear up these grievances and try to make peace to the best of our ability. The Spirit can't dwell with someone who is angry, contentious, or hateful. Those kinds of things drive the Spirit away. So if we want to be close to God, we need to try to have peaceful relationships with the people in our lives. Matt. 5: 23-24 "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

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