Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read a verse that talks about the king of Babylon making arrows bright, consulting with images and looking in the liver. These things didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but the institute manual explained them as follows: Three methods of divination used by idolaters were shaking arrows and drawing one out or watching them fall, consulting with idols, and examining the entrails of animal sacrifices--customs no more ridiculous than consulting cards and tea leaves or reading palms. Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem because Jehovah allowed it, not because an arrow, an image, or a liver bespoke good omens. Ezek. 21: 21 "For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver."


In the D&C we're told to ask God in all things and His Spirit will testify as to what we should do. We need to do all things with a prayer of thanksgiving to avoid being deceived by the devil or the precepts of men. We need to seek earnestly for the best gifts which are given for the benefit of those who love the Lord and keep His commandments. D&C 46: 7-9 "But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils. Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me, that ask and not for a sign that they may consume it upon their lusts."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the story of the loaves and fishes and how a small amount of food was miraculously increased to feed 5,000. When we think we don't have enough of something we need, instead of bemoaning the fact and waiting around for more, we need to use what we already have because we may discover that the Lord will increase it to make it go much further than we expected. Even a little can accomplish a lot when we trust in the Lord. Matt. 14: 15-21 "And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children."