In the Book of Mormon we read that war and carnage continued, with the wicked punishing the wicked. Thousands were slain on both sides. Mormon 4:1-9 "And now it came to pass that in the three hundred and sixty and third year the Nephites did go up with their armies to battle against the Lamanites, out of the land Desolation. And it came to pass that the armies of the Nephites were driven back again to the land of Desolation. And while they were yet weary, a fresh army of the Lamanites did come upon them; and they had a sore battle, insomuch that the Lamanites did take possession of the city Desolation, and did slay many of the Nephites, and did take many prisoners. And the remainder did flee and join the inhabitants of the city Teancum. Now the city Teancum lay in the borders by the seashore; and it was also near the city Desolation. And it was because the armies of the Nephites went up unto the Lamanites that they began to be smitten; for were it not for that, the Lamanites could have had no power over them. But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed. And it came to pass that the Lamanites did make preparations to come against the city Teancum. And it came to pass in the three hundred and sixty and fourth year the Lamanites did come against the city Teancum, that they might take possession of the city Teancum also. And it came to pass that they were repulsed and driven back by the Nephites. And when the Nephites saw that they had driven the Lamanites they did again boast of their own strength; and they went forth in their own might, and took possession again of the city Desolation. And now all these things had been done, and there had been thousands slain on both sides, both the Nephites and the Lamanites."
In the Old Testament we read a verse with a common phrase that is found throughout all of scripture, "And it came to pass." When a man was asked what his favorite scripture was, he said it was "And it came to pass." Why? Because no matter what trials or tribulations we're experiencing in our lives, we can know that they'll come to pass. They won't come to stay, they'll come to pass. When we're going through troubling times, remind yourself that this, too, will pass. "And it came to pass" are words to live by! Judges 14:11 " And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him."
A verse with a thought booklet reminds us once again that it is God's will that we give thanks in everything. It's easy to give thanks during good times, but what about when circumstances are at their worst? The story is told of a family who were on their way to a cabin in the woods for a week. A friend had offered to let them stay in his cabin free of charge. They were so much looking forward to their wonderful vacation and were imaging what this great cabin would be like. Maybe it would even have a dishwasher. When they pulled up to the cabin, after a long day's drive, they were crestfallen. This wasn't the wonderful cabin they had imagined. It was more like a shanty, ready to fall apart. Not only that, it was dirty and smelled bad, and it was so small that even sardines would have felt cramped. But it was late, they were tired, and there was no place else to go, so they decided to make the best of it for the night. The next morning, things still looked pretty grim, but one of them suggested they play a game. Any time one of them said anything negative about the cabin, they would have to come up with something nice to say about it, something they were thankful for. It wasn't easy to find good things to say about the cabin, but the list grew: It didn't leak, no sign of rats, it's warm, the refrigerator works, it's free, the drinking glasses are pretty. As the list grew, so did their gratitude and so did their contentment. And because the cabin wasn't the greatest place, they found themselves spending more time outdoors enjoying hiking around and exploring. They stayed the whole week and now, years later, they remember it as the best vacation they ever had. If we give thanks in all things, looking for things to be grateful for, we'll find ourselves happier and more content with the blessings the Lord has given us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
In the Old Testament we read a verse with a common phrase that is found throughout all of scripture, "And it came to pass." When a man was asked what his favorite scripture was, he said it was "And it came to pass." Why? Because no matter what trials or tribulations we're experiencing in our lives, we can know that they'll come to pass. They won't come to stay, they'll come to pass. When we're going through troubling times, remind yourself that this, too, will pass. "And it came to pass" are words to live by! Judges 14:11 " And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him."
A verse with a thought booklet reminds us once again that it is God's will that we give thanks in everything. It's easy to give thanks during good times, but what about when circumstances are at their worst? The story is told of a family who were on their way to a cabin in the woods for a week. A friend had offered to let them stay in his cabin free of charge. They were so much looking forward to their wonderful vacation and were imaging what this great cabin would be like. Maybe it would even have a dishwasher. When they pulled up to the cabin, after a long day's drive, they were crestfallen. This wasn't the wonderful cabin they had imagined. It was more like a shanty, ready to fall apart. Not only that, it was dirty and smelled bad, and it was so small that even sardines would have felt cramped. But it was late, they were tired, and there was no place else to go, so they decided to make the best of it for the night. The next morning, things still looked pretty grim, but one of them suggested they play a game. Any time one of them said anything negative about the cabin, they would have to come up with something nice to say about it, something they were thankful for. It wasn't easy to find good things to say about the cabin, but the list grew: It didn't leak, no sign of rats, it's warm, the refrigerator works, it's free, the drinking glasses are pretty. As the list grew, so did their gratitude and so did their contentment. And because the cabin wasn't the greatest place, they found themselves spending more time outdoors enjoying hiking around and exploring. They stayed the whole week and now, years later, they remember it as the best vacation they ever had. If we give thanks in all things, looking for things to be grateful for, we'll find ourselves happier and more content with the blessings the Lord has given us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
No comments:
Post a Comment