Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that we need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and other things will be added unto us.  When we place our priorities right and put the Lord first in our lives, everything else seems to fall into place. Some examples of this principle that I've discovered in my own life are:  When I pay my tithing first, I seem to have enough money for the things I need.  When I make time to pray and study my scriptures first thing in the morning, I seem to have time for the other things I need to do that day.  If we'll trust in the Lord and put Him first in our lives, He'll richly bless us.  3 Nephi 13:25-34 "And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen, and said unto them: Remember the words which I have spoken. For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto this people. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, even so will he clothe you, if ye are not of little faith. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof."

In the Old Testament we read that Ahaziah turned to Baal-zebub to find out whether or not he would live after he had an accident.  The Lord was very displeased that he would turn to wicked sources for information when there was a God in Israel that he could turn to. The Lord sent an angel to Elijah the prophet to tell Ahaziah this and tell him that he would not rise from his bed, but would surely die. When we want to know what's going to happen to us, do we turn to the Lord, or do we turn to horoscopes, fortune tellers, and other unsavory sources? If we're looking to these other sources for information, the Lord is displeased with us, just like He was with Ahaziah.    2 Kings 1:2-4 "And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell how Jesus called some of His disciples.  They were busy with their work and everyday lives, but when He called to them, they left what they were doing and followed.  How willing are we to give up whatever is necessary to do whatever the Lord asks of us?  Would we be willing to drop what we're doing and follow Him?  Mark 1:16-20 "Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him."