Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that if we have no hope we will be in despair, and despair comes because of iniquity.  Wickedness never was happiness!  But if we have faith, we'll be able to do all things that are expedient for us.  Moroni 10:  22-23 "And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity. And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me."

In the Old Testament we read about how Job's friends are miserable comforters and how their vain words just makes matters worse for him.  He feels like his friends scorn him, but he pours out his tears to God.  Do we ever feel like our hearts are breaking but our friends are "miserable comforters"?  We can turn in prayer to the Lord who will ever be there for us.  Job 16:1-8, 20 "Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.  Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?  I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.  But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief. Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?  But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.  And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face. My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God."

In some verses with a thought booklet we read a familiar verse that tells us that the Lord says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways."  We often quote this verse to explain why sometimes our prayers are answered differently than we expected or why our lives sometimes take unexpected turns.  And this is a true principle.  But we also need to read the verses prior to this verse to get the full context of the message.  It talks about how we need to seek the Lord and call upon Him while He is near and that if the wicked forsake their way and return to the Lord He will have mercy on them and abundantly pardon them.  When someone has wronged us, it's often "our way" to hold a grudge against them.  But that's not the Lord's way!  His way is to forgive and have mercy on them.  God's way is totally unlike ours.  God is saying that when we sin we can seek Him out and He will pardon us.  That's not the way people usually think.  They want to keep their offenders waiting while they reluctantly decide if they're going to forgive them, if they forgive them at all.  This is not the Lord's way!  He responds with mercy and forgiveness to those who turn to Him.  Shouldn't we do the same for those who have offended us?  Isaiah 55:6-9 "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."