"Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep."
2 Nephi 4:17-20
I think all of us feel this way sometimes, often legitimately because we are sinful creatures and we have an awful lot to learn before we reach that "perfect day" that God asks us to strive for.
I really like the phrase "nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted." Part of what I like is that he clearly places trust in God over trust in himself, which I think is an essential part of the gospel. We are working on our trustworthiness, both towards others and toward ourselves, and we get better at that and learn to do the right thing both for others and for ourselves, but right now we don't always have the capacity to get there on our own. With God we can do all things, but he is the absolutely essential ingredient to any miracle of transformation in our lives.
When we groan because of sin it's often because we don't know the way out or the way around an impediment in our lives--but God does. If we trust him, he will help us accomplish anything that he asks, which is anything right and good. This *includes* perfection. It is definitely not something that will come right away, but with God, even we can attain that goal somewhere in eternity.
Today, like Nephi, let's remember the times when God has been our support, and all the miraculous things that he does for us in our lives. And then let's stop wallowing in self-pity, and get in there and work to change, with God's help. He will help us turn our weaknesses into strengths, and our despair into joy, if we trust in him and follow his directions on the path to salvation.
I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep."
2 Nephi 4:17-20
I think all of us feel this way sometimes, often legitimately because we are sinful creatures and we have an awful lot to learn before we reach that "perfect day" that God asks us to strive for.
I really like the phrase "nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted." Part of what I like is that he clearly places trust in God over trust in himself, which I think is an essential part of the gospel. We are working on our trustworthiness, both towards others and toward ourselves, and we get better at that and learn to do the right thing both for others and for ourselves, but right now we don't always have the capacity to get there on our own. With God we can do all things, but he is the absolutely essential ingredient to any miracle of transformation in our lives.
When we groan because of sin it's often because we don't know the way out or the way around an impediment in our lives--but God does. If we trust him, he will help us accomplish anything that he asks, which is anything right and good. This *includes* perfection. It is definitely not something that will come right away, but with God, even we can attain that goal somewhere in eternity.
Today, like Nephi, let's remember the times when God has been our support, and all the miraculous things that he does for us in our lives. And then let's stop wallowing in self-pity, and get in there and work to change, with God's help. He will help us turn our weaknesses into strengths, and our despair into joy, if we trust in him and follow his directions on the path to salvation.
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