Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read how the Lord reproved Israel for turning to Egypt for help instead of to Him. Those who trust in the arm of flesh will fall, but the Lord can defend and deliver his people. Isa. 31: 1-5 "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. For thus hath the Lord spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it."

In the Book of Mormon I read about some of the battles between the Nephites and Lamanites and how Teancum had made preparations to make an attack upon the city of Mulek but abandoned his plans when he saw their fortifications. In reading about these various wars I wondered why they were important enough to be included in the Book of Mormon and what we could learn from them. One thing that came to me is that we are in a war with Satan who desires to defeat us. But if we fortify ourselves by keeping the Spirit in our lives and being firmly planted
on the solid ground of the gospel, he won't be able to conquer us. But if we come out from the protection of the gospel and spend our time on his territory, we'll be easy prey for him. Alma 52: 17 "And it came to pass that Teancum made preparations to make an attack upon the city of Mulek, and march forth with his army against the Lamanites; but he saw that it was impossible that he could overpower them while they were in their fortifications; therefore he abandoned his designs and returned again to the city Bountiful, to wait for the coming of Moroni, that he might receive strength to his army."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that we can become new creatures in Christ. Indeed, our old sins and our old lives will pass away as we accept Christ into our lives and allow Him to change us. 2 Cor. 5: 17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."