Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the mighty and lofty will be humbled and God will be exalted and sanctified in righteousness. Woes will come to the wicked and apostate and to those who call evil good and call good evil and who are wise in their own eyes. We can certainly see a lot of that going on in our own day! The anger of the Lord is kindled against such people and they will be destroyed 2 Nephi 15:15-25 "And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.  But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.  Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope; That say: Let him make speed, hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it.  Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight!  Wo unto the mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;  Who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!  Therefore, as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, their root shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.  Therefore, is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them; and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

In the Old Testament we read that Samuel exhorted Israel to forsake false gods and serve only the Lord.  He told them that if they would return to the Lord with all their hearts and put away the strange gods, the Lord would deliver them from the hands of the Philistines.  The children of Israel did stop worshiping the idols and served only the Lord, so the Lord did deliver them and brought them peace.  1 Samuel 7:3-4, 13-14 "And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that the wicked are cruel, but a righteous man takes care of his animals.  It's not only important to treat people with kindness, but animals as well. As I write this, I have a purring car laying to the left of me and another one on my right, and I'm so grateful for their precious lives. Animals are a great blessing to us and we need to treat them with respect.   Proverbs 12:10 "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."