Daily Thoughts

* Note:  I'll be sending these out early (the night before) this week because I'll be going to BYU Education Week every day and won't have time to get on the computer in the mornings before I leave. 

In the Old Testament we read about how Jeremiah told the people that the Lord had sent him to prophesy unto them and that if they killed him, they would shed innocent blood. He told them they needed to repent, amend their ways, and start obeying the word of the Lord. Jer. 26: 12-15 "Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears."

In the Book of Mormon I read a simple, straightforward verse that says we must repent if we want to be saved. That means that people who realize they're sinning but don't make any effort to repent will not be saved. And it also means that people who think they're so good they have no need to repent will not be saved. We ALL sin and we ALL need to repent. If we think we're so great that repentance is just for other people, we need to humble ourselves before God and seek direction about what we may need to repent of. Nobody can be saved without repentance. Morm. 7: 3 "Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that after the Lord had been calling Samuel and he thought it was Eli calling him, Eli finally realized what was happening and instructed Samuel that if it happened again he should reply with "Speak, Lord for Thy servant heareth." When the Lord speaks we need to listen. Have you ever prayed and asked the Lord to help you with something but didn't stop to try to listen to His guidance and direction? Sometimes we pray as if to say, "Listen Lord, for Thy servant speaketh!" We need to remind ourselves to listen, for the Lord speaks! 1 Sam. 3: 8-10 "And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth."
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