Search This Blog

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Daily Thoughts

In the P of GP we read that when converts joined the various sects, the various parties had confusion and bad feelings toward each other and a great strife of words ensued.  Joseph Smith History 1:6  "For, notwithstanding the great love which the converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued—priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions."

In the New Testament I read a verse that really struck me.  Having lost my dad in 2009 and my mother in 2010, I find myself still missing them every day and wishing I could have them back in my life.  Of course I know that I will see them again someday, but I still miss them right now.  Often I dream about them, only to wake up and realize all over again that they are gone. But this verse talks about thanking God every time we have someone in remembrance.  I realized that instead of feeling so bad that I am no longer able to see and talk to my parents in my daily life, I need to thank Him, every time I remember my parents--thank Him for the many wonderful years I had with them and for the many wonderful memories we shared.  I'm grateful I had them both for over 50 years--many people lose their parents at a much younger age.  I'm grateful I had good parents who loved me and would have done anything for me--some people are not so fortunate.  I'm grateful for the things they taught me and for all the ways they helped and guided me.  I need to do better, when I remember them, to be grateful and thank God for them.  Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,"

A verse with a thought booklet reminds us that we can't live by bread alone, but we need every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God.  It's not enough to feed ourselves physically with the food we eat each day.  We also need to feed ourselves spiritually with the Word of God.  Do we place as high a priority on studying our scriptures every day as we do on the cereal we eat for breakfast or the sandwich we eat with lunch?  Let's make sure we don't starve ourselves spiritually by withholding the spiritual nourishment we need each and every day.  Matthew  4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

No comments: