Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the vineyard was nourished and pruned and cared for in the hopes that it would bear good fruit. But when the Lord of the vineyard came to taste of the fruit, none of it was good, which grieved him very much. Are we sometimes like this vineyard? The Lord nourishes us with tender care, but we don't produce good fruit. I'm sure that when this occurs, it grieves His heart. He doesn't want to lose us! Jacob 5: 27, 31-32, 41, 46-47 "But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard did taste of the fruit, every sort according to its number. And the Lord of the vineyard said: Behold, this long time have we nourished this tree, and I have laid up unto myself against the season much fruit. But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and now it grieveth me that I should lose this tree. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard? And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive-tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them. But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?"

In the New Testament I read that Jesus Christ offered His sacrifice for our sins and then sat down on the right hand of God. Hebrews 10: 10-12 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;"

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that Jesus told the man with a sick child that all things were possible to those who believe. The man's response was that he believed, but asked Jesus to help his unbelief. Indeed, miracles happen to those who have faith. But sometimes we need the Lord to help us with our unbelief. It's not that we don't want to belive. It's just that sometimes we have a hard time believing. Sometimes it's all we can do to pray "Help me with my lack of faith." But He will help us and miracles can and do occur! Mark 9:23-24 "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."



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