Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read Nephi's prayer that he should shake at the appearance of sin and that the gates of hell would be continually shut against him. He prayed for humility and that he would be able to walk on the right path and no stumbling blocks would be placed in his way. Instead of placing his trust in man, he would put his trust in the Lord forever. God gives to those who ask, if they ask not amiss. He is our rock and everlasting God.  2 Nephi 4:31-35 "O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin? May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road! O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.  O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.  Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen."

In the Old Testament we read that when the Egyptians afflicted the children of Israel under hard bondage, the children of Israel cried out to God and He heard their voice and brought them forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and great signs and wonders.  He brought them to a land that flowed with milk and honey.  The people were commanded to rejoice in every good thing that the Lord had given to them and to pay their tithing.  We can likewise look at all the blessings the Lord has given us, and all the things He has done for us and all the prayers He has answered.  We can rejoice in all these things.  And what a small thing it is to pay our tithing, a mere 10% of the material things the Lord has blessed us with, not to mention the non material things He's given us.  Deuteronomy 26:6-12 "And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:  And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:  And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.  And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God:  And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;"

A verse with a thought booklet is one that we'd do well to memorize and repeat to ourselves when we are tempted to judge others harshly.  None of us is without sin.  It's often easy to magnify the sins of others while minimizing the sins we ourselves commit.  But if we don't see that we ourselves likewise sin, we're just deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."