Thursday, August 30, 2018

Alma 26:17-20 -- On Turning from Sin to Salvation

"Who could have supposed that our God would have been so merciful as to have snatched us from our awful, sinful, and polluted state?
Behold, we went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy his church.
Oh then, why did he not consign us to an awful destruction, yea, why did he not let the sword of his justice fall upon us, and doom us to eternal despair?
Oh, my soul, almost as it were, fleeth at the thought. Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls."
Alma 26:17-20


Perhaps we all feel like Ammon here at times.  We've done things wrong in our lives, and even if we weren't purposely trying directly to destroy God's church, we have had that experience of feeling "awful, sinful, and polluted."  We've likely all deserved some bad consequences to bad decisions, and even though sometimes we feel those consequences, God usually gives us a chance to escape them at some point.  Why does he do this?  Why save us and give us another chance when we are working so hard to destroy ourselves?

As with Ammon, God sees something in us--in all of us--that is worthy of saving.  He sees our value and our potential, and he works with us, tirelessly, to help us see a better path, and to find a way out of the pits that we often dig for ourselves.  Because of Christ's mercy, repentance is granted and justice is delayed until after this life, so we have our whole lives, working with God, to do better and get it right.

Today, let's work with God and leave those awful feelings behind.  Let's work towards hope and joy and better selves.  God magnifies our efforts so even if we can only take the smallest step in his direction, he will help make that move significant and reinforce any effort.  It can seem overwhelming, but it *is* possible to turn around and return to God, from wherever we are now.  Let's get on our knees today and work with God on taking that first step.  He loves us, and if we are willing to change, even if we don't know how yet, he will always be willing to help us find our way.

2 comments:

  1. "God sees something in Us"truth is you must be an Israelites in order 📑 for God to rescue u without u asking.
    Remember He made a covanet with the Fathers *😊. Be an Israel is easy that way 😇.


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    Replies
    1. While it is a blessing to be part of God's chosen people, I believe that even Israelites have to live up to their side of the covenant they made with God--we don't get a free pass. I also think that God offers *exactly* the same covenant to anyone else who chooses to come to him. We are all his children, whatever our earthly background, and we can all be chosen.

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