Today's Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read about how Lehi counseled and blessed his children before he died. He told them that if they kept the commandments, they would be blessed and prospered in the land, but if they would not keep the commandments, they'd be cut off from the presence of the Lord. 2 Ne. 4: 3-5, 12 "Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them: Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my first-born, I would that ye should give ear unto my words. For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it. And it came to pass after my father, Lehi, had spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of the Lord which was in him, he waxed old. And it came to pass that he died, and was buried."

In the New Testament I read about the uproar caused by Paul's missionary efforts. The craftsmen who created idols to worship were very upset at Paul teaching against worshipping gods made with hands because this would disturb their employment. Acts 19:23-28 "And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet remind us to praise God and thank Him for all the blessings that He has given us. When we have an attitude of gratitude, it makes all the difference in the world in how happy we are. When we can appreciate the things around us instead of finding fault, we can find joy in life. This is illustrated in the thought that went with this, written by Andy Clapp from Bigsonville, North Carolina. He said: I had gotten lost int he struggles of daily life. Every morning I awoke with a horrible attitude, dreading at least one portion of the day ahead. On the days that I worked, I could not stand the thought of going in to the office. On the days that I was off, I had to deal with our dog's lack of housetraining and excessive barking. There was something each day that irritated me, and I could not overlook the ongoing annoyances. Finally, I decided to spend an entire day praising God. I prayed the night before in preparation, and the next day I experienced a shift in my life. God revealed so many things that I had overlooked while I was struggling. My eyes caught the beauty of nature. I breathed in the fresh air. I realized anew God's daily provisions of food and shelter. That night, I praised God for the day that He had given me. Our lives are very different when we are consumed with praise. Praise keeps us looking for God rather than focusing on the negative things in our lives. Dear Lord, we want to focus on the positives of life instead of the negatives. Remind us of all the blessings we have to be thankful for each day. Psalms 113: 1-9 "Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord."