Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read that the Lord will swallow up death in victory, He will save those who wait upon Him, and wipe the tears from their eyes. What a wonderful, comforting message this is! Isa. 25: 8-9 "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the people of Nephi were so grateful to the Lord for delivering them from their enemies that they fasted and prayed and worshipped the Lord with great joy. Do we sufficiently express our gratitutde to the Lord for His many blessings toward us? Are we ever so thankful to Him that we fast to show our appreciation? To be honest with you, I'd never thought of fasting in gratitude before. Alma 45: 1 "Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy."

Some verses with a thought booklet tells us that one of the last things Jesus did, while hanging on the cross, was show concern for His mother and ask John to take care of her. I heard a story about a dying man whose hospital room was filled with loving family members saying their goodbyes. No one seemed to notice a doctor enter the room and squint to read the man's chart. But the dying man noticed and asked his son to turn up the light so the doctor could see better. One of the last things he did was to show concern for someone else. We all need to follow the Savior's example and be sensitive to the needs of others, not just at the end of our lives, but every day. John 19: 25-27 "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."