Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that we can know men by their fruits.  Those who profess to know the Lord but don't obey Him will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but will be hewn down and cast into the fire.  If we are truly righteous, we'll bring forth good fruit.  We need to demonstrate our faith by our actions. 3 Nephi 14: 16-21 "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven."

In the Old Testament we read the story of now Naaman the leper came to Elisha to be healed of his leprosy.  He expected Elisha to greet him personally and strike his hand over him in a powerful way to get rid of his leprosy.  However, instead Elisha sent a servant to Naaman and told him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River.  Naaman was angry--saying there were better rivers than that at home he could have dipped in.  But a servant convinced him to humble himself enough to do what Elisha said.  And as a result, he was healed.  Sometimes we need to humble ourselves before the Lord will answer our prayers.  Instead of miracles happening in a dramatic way that we might anticipate, sometimes they come quietly and without fanfare.  And if we're not willing to be obedient, even in simple ways that we might think are silly or unimportant, they may not happen at all.  2 Kings 5:9-14 "So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that a virgin gave birth to a son and called him Immanuel, which means God with us.  When we're feeling alone, this is something we can remember--God is with us!  We are not alone for He is ever with us. What a comfort and blessing that is.  Matthew 1: 23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."