Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament yesterday we read about how the Lord warned the people not to go to Egypt. However, today we read about how they did not believe the words of the Lord and insisted on going to Egypt anyway. Jer. 43: 1-4, 7 "And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon. So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the Lord, to dwell in the land of Judah. So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes."

In the Book of Mormon we read about how evil and hardened the people had become--so much so that the Spirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them and Satan had full power over their hearts. We need to be very careful to heed the words of the Lord so we can keep the Spirit of the Lord in our lives. If we ignore promptings of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost will stop trying to talk to us. And that's a scary state to find ourselves in. Ether 15: 19 "But behold, the Spirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them, and Satan had full power over the hearts of the people; for they were given up unto the hardness of their hearts, and the blindness of their minds that they might be destroyed; wherefore they went again to battle."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that obeying the voice of the Lord is better than offering sacrifices. When Saul disobeyed the Lord's commandment to smite and destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions, and instead saved some of the animals to sacrifice them, the Lord was displeased with him. We need to obey whatever the Lord tells us to do and not make up excuses of why our way is better. "Well, Lord, I didn't pay my tithing because I wanted to donate to this other charity." "I didn't go to church because I really wanted to spend some quality time with my family at the ballgame." We might have some good things we want to do, but if they conflict with a commandment the Lord has given us, we need to put our priorities straight and obey the Lord. 1 Sam. 15: 22 "And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
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