Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read a recounting of the things the Lord did when delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt--and the signs and wonders, and how He helped them once they left Egypt and were eventually able to inherit the promised land. Ps. 105: 29-45 "He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings. He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts. He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts. He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillers, and that without number, And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground. He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength. He brought athem forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes. Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them. He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant. And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness: And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people; That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord."

In the Book of Mormon we read a prophesy, hundreds of years before it happened, of Jesus coming to eearth in the flesh and being crucified by wicked people who had hardened their hearts against God. The day would come that they would be smitten and afflicted. 2 Ne. 6: 9-10 "Nevertheless, the Lord has shown unto me that they should return again. And he also has shown unto me that the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, should manifest himself unto them in the flesh; and after he should manifest himself they should scourge him and crucify him, according to the words of the angel who spake it unto me. And after they have hardened their hearts and stiffened their necks against the Holy One of Israel, behold, the judgments of the Holy One of Israel shall come upon them. And the day cometh that they shall be smitten and afflicted."

Some verses with a thought booklet recount the familiar story of Mary and Martha. Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to His word while Martha was cumbered about with much serving, complaining to Jesus that her sister wasn't helping her. But Jesus pointed out that only one thing was needful and Mary had chosen that. In other words, trying to know Jesus for ourselves is the most important thing, and we should not allow ourselves to become so distracted by outer life that we miss seeing Jesus. The story is told of an old cleaning woman who came to a certain church and asked to join. But she smelled bad so the pastor told her to pray about it and come back in a week. She never came back. When she later ran into the pastor in the marketplace she told him she had prayed and Jesus had told her not to bother trying to join that pastor's church. She then told the pastor, "Jesus has been trying to get into your church for years!" Let's not become distracted by outer things that keep us from seeing the Lord and keep us from seeing others as children of God. Luke 10: 38-42 "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."