Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament we read a description of a virtuous woman, how industrious, wise, and kind she is--her price is above rubies. Prov. 31: 10-31 "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.3 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She ariseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

In the Book of Mormon we read about how Alma and Amulek were being mistreated in prison but the Lord delivered them in a miraculous manner--shaking the earth until the prison walls fell down, killing everyone inside except for Alma and Amulek who were unhurt. The people witnessing this were understandably frightened. Alma 14: 23-29 "And it came to pass after they had thus suffered for many days, (and it was on the twelfth day, in the tenth month, in the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi) that the chief judge over the land of Ammonihah and many of their teachers and their lawyers went in unto the prison where Alma and Amulek were bound with cords. And the chief judge stood before them, and smote them again, and said unto them: If ye have the power of God deliver yourselves from these bands, and then we will believe that the Lord will destroy this people according to your words. And it came to pass that they all went forth and smote them, saying the same words, even until the last; and when the last had spoken unto them the power of God was upon Alma and Amulek, and they rose and stood upon their feet. And Alma cried, saying: How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them. And it came to pass that so great was their fear that they fell to the earth, and did not obtain the outer door of the prison; and the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain, so that they fell to the earth; and the chief judge, and the lawyers, and priests, and teachers, who smote upon Alma and Amulek, were slain by the fall thereof. And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ. And they straightway came forth out of the prison; and they were loosed from their bands; and the prison had fallen to the earth, and every soul within the walls thereof, save it were Alma and Amulek, was slain; and they straightway came forth into the city. Now the people having heard a great noise came running together by multitudes to know the cause of it; and when they saw Alma and Amulek coming forth out of the prison, and the walls thereof had fallen to the earth, they were struck with great fear, and fled from the presence of Alma and Amulek even as a goat fleeth with her young from two lions; and thus they did flee from the presence of Alma and Amulek."


A verse in a thought booklet tells about how Mary Magdalene saw Jesus but didn't realize that it was Him. The thought that went with this, written by Cheryl D. Wanner from McMinnville, Oregon says: My dog, Reggie, loves nothing more than a good scent on the ground. Being a beagle, he has a highly developed sense of smell and a bullheaded determination to follow his nose wherever it takes him. Sometimes he gets so focused on whatever he's tracking that he misses the very thing itself. Once he tracked the scent of our cat on the driveway while the cat sat in plain sight watching him. He'll even ignore a dog in somebody's yard or on the road in favor of the one he smells on the ground. So often we, like Reggie, get so intent on what's under our noses that we don't see God standing in front of us, waiting to help us, to love us, to show us the way to Him or how to better serve others. It's God we are truly looking for. All we have to do is look up and see. Lord, ehlp me not get so caught up in the details of life or even my service to You that I miss the very One Im looking for. John 20: 14 " And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus."





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