Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read the allegory of the vine and its branches. The Institute manual says: The Allegory deals with the conditions in Israel at the time of Ezekiel: "Israel resembled a vine planted by the water... This vine sent out strong shoots for rules' sceptres; that is to say, it brought forth powerful kings, and grew up to a great height... It was turn up in fury by the wrath of God, cast down to the groud, so that its fruit withered... The uprooting ends in the transplanted of the vine into a waste, dry, unwatered land, --it other words, in the transplanting of the people, Israel, into exile. The dry land is Babylon, so described as being a barren soil in which the kingdom of God could not flourish." (Keil and Delizsch, Commentary, 9:1:261-62). With the destruction of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar and the killing of Zedekiah's sons, "she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule." Clarke summarized: "None of the blood-royal of Judah was left. And from that time not one of her own royal race ever sat upon the strone of Israel." (Commentary 4:474.) Ezek. 19: 10-14 "Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."

In the D&C we're told that if we're faithful and exercise faith in the Lord, He will pour out His Spirit to be with us when we assemble together. D&C 44: 2 "And it shall come to pass, that inasmuch as they are faithful, and exercise faith in me, I will pour out my Spirit upon them in the day that they assemble themselves together."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that the God who made us will carry us and take care of us even until we are old and our hair is gray. What a comforting thought! Having tried to take care of my parents as they aged, I've sometimes wondered who is going to take care of me when I get old. But I know that no matter what my circumstances become, the Lord will always be with me and help me. People of any age can trust in the Lord with whatever problems, concerns and challenges we have to face. Isa. 46: 4 "And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."


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