Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that the people finally began to humble themselves before God and cry unto Him for deliverance. However, because of their sins, He was slow to hear their cries. But He did eventually hear their petitions and began to soften the hearts of their enemies and ease their burdens. However, He did not at that time to see fit to deliver them out of bondage. When we're slow to turn to the Lord, He can be slow to help us. But if we remain humble and continually cry unto Him, He will hear us and give us answers to our prayers. However, He doesn't always immediately lift our burdens. Sometimes He just eases our burdens and makes them easier to bear. Mosiah 21:14-15 "And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions. And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage."

In the Old Testament I read the fulfillment of Joseph's interpretation of Pharoh's dream. Indeed, there were seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine throughout the land. Because they had stored food during the years of plenty, there was lots of food to be sold to people in need, and people came from all over to buy food--including Joseph's own brothers who did not recognize him. Genesis 41:54-57; 42:1-8 "And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him."

A verse with a thought booklet telk about the eternal God as a dwelling place and underneath are His everlasting arms. The thought that went with this, written by Harriet Michael from Louisville, Kentucky, says: My father taught me to swim by having me jump from the side of the pool into his open arms while he waited in the water to catch me. He never dropped me, and never did I hesitate to jump to him. I felt secure in my father's arms. When I was an adult, I still knew that I could call on my father for help. For instance, I recall the time that my car brakes failed. At that time in my life, my husband and I had no means by which to buy new brakes. I finally called my father. I apologized for having to ask to borrow money, telling him that we had considered all other options and had exhausted all of our resources. My sweet father replied, "Honey, until you have called me, you have never exhausted all of your resources." My father is a wonderful earthly father. His arms have dcaught me many times in my life. Our Heavenly Father is even more wonderful. He rides on the heavens to help you and his arms afre the everlasting arms. Thank you, Lord, for your everlasting arms that support us when we need it and catch us when we fall. Deuteronomy 33:27 "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them."


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