Saturday, February 11, 2017

1 Nephi 18:23 -- On Calling it the Promised Land

"And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents; and we did call it the promised land."
1 Nephi 18:23


This is the arrival of Lehi and his family and the rest of their party in the land that God had promised them.  They had been through a lot, and I am sure it was a relief to finally arrive.  I am also sure that it was difficult for them to start over again, but they stayed positive, and called it the promised land rather than "Stuck in the Wilderness: Part II."  They jumped in and made it their own, and invested everything they had in it.

I think that God grants us all a promised land of some sort, which is often very different or very far away from where we wanted to go in the first place.  But God knows what we can become, and to find that out, and to become that better self, sometimes we need to pick up and try something different.  If we trust God, and do as he asks, he will make a path for us.  And when we get there sometimes it isn't that impressive.  It just looks like wilderness.  It doesn't look like a new home, or an immense, amazing possibility... just more hardship, more work, more sacrifice.  And yet, if it is what God promised, and his gift to us, we can also trust that it will be valuable beyond measure, and worth every investment.

Today, let's trust God, and invest in his gifts and promises to us.  He won't lead us astray, or leave us to perish in the wilderness.  He'll help us break ground and build something amazing.  With a little effort, we can transform whatever wilderness he gives us into a place where we belong... a place of peace and contentment and love.  Let's call it the Promised Land, and then work to make it that way. :)

2 comments:

  1. Amen, sister! I never thought about it like that before. "Stuck in the Wilderness: Part II" made me laugh because it certainly feels like that sometimes. We pray for a change and get a new trial, or pray for an opportunity to serve and get a new calling that we'd never want in a million years. But if we trust His plan and move forward with faith, we catch glimpses of how this new situation is exactly what we need to reach a deeper level of spirituality, sanctification, consecration, compassion, or whatever He is trying to develop in us. His promises are sure and we know He will always come through!

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  2. Thanks for your kind and insightful comment. :)

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