Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read Nephi telling about how his brothers were so swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord, even though they'd seen angels. He said that the Lord tries to speak to them in a still, small voice, but they were past feeling and could not feel His words. So then He had to speak to them in a voice of thunder that shook the earth. Do we keep ourselves in tune with the Lord so we can hear that still, small voice? Do we hearken to and obey what He tells us? 1 Ne. 17: 45-46 "Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder. And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word he can cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know that by his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and smooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can be so hard in your hearts?"

In the New Testament we're told not to judge by appearance, but to judge righteous judgment. How many times do we judge people because of the way they're dressed or the way they talk or by something about their physical appearance? We can be thankful that the Lord will not judge us on such superficial things. He looks on our hearts and will judge us by the things we think, say and do. And a very big factor will be how much love we have shown to others. John 7:24 "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet remind us how fragile life is. We might makes plans that we'll do certain things today, tomorrow, or next year, but we'll only be able to follow through on those plans if it's the Lord's will. We don't know that we'll still be alive tomorrow. Life is like a vapour that appears for a time and then vanishes. We need to take advantage of whatever time we have because we don't know when we'll be called home to God. The thought that went with this, written by Wilma Musser from Mechanicburg, Pennsylvania says: I saw him daily at the nursing home: an elderly man pushing his wife in a wheelchair. She had a pretty complexion, but glazed eyes and an open mouth. Although she did not respond in any way, his attentiveness intrigued me. As they sat at the big window, he would describe the beautiful flowers outside or tell her the colors and models of the cars that passed by. I sometimes heard him tell her how pretty she was and what a wonderful wife she had been and how much he loved her. One day I overheard him talking to another resident: "When she was well, I was too busy with my business to pay much attention. Now I come every day. I tell her how much I love her, but it's too late. She can't see or talk. But I do love her, and I am trying to make up for my years of negligence." How sad! Our verse for today says that we should do our kind deeds and show our love for people before it is too late. Life is short and uncertain. Thank you for reminding me to act now, love now, and serve now--before it's too late. James 4:13-15 "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."

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