tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39126712058609060302024-03-18T19:03:08.672-06:00Scriptural Commentary(or Inspired Babbling)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.comBlogger5706125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-56576023828455292772024-03-18T19:02:00.001-06:002024-03-18T19:02:32.896-06:00Isaiah 8:22 -- On Light and Darkness"And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness."<br>
Isaiah 8:22<br>
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A couple of verses before this it talks about people that have "no light in them," so they can't see the truth, and I think the culmination of that is here, when it talks about them being "driven to darkness." Perhaps driving themselves to darkness because they can't see the light, or perhaps being deceived into it... also because they can't see/feel/understand/know the light. I think the point here is that we need to cleave to the light of God with everything that we are.<br>
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Today, if we are feeling surrounded by darkness, within or without, let's remember that God is the truth, and that He is light, and then let's kneel and humbly pray for God's help in being able to see the light again... the light of Christ, of hope, of faith... of goodness, so that we can see God's path and walk in it. Darkness and dimness--despair, hopelessness--that is the deception, and if we turn to God he will show us the hope, help us to see with new eyes and a better perspective, and guide us all to our potential and to eternal happiness. :) Let's choose light.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-16759209594356697502024-03-17T19:45:00.004-06:002024-03-17T19:45:54.995-06:00Mark 4:18-19 -- On Cares of the World"And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful."<br>
Mark 4:18-19<br>
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A good reminder for today that it is very easy to let the cares of the world distract us from the things that truly matter... the word of God, and his gospel of hope and love. Today, let's avoid the choking distractions that can drive us away from God, and let's focus on the important things... learning about and loving God, and with his help, loving not just those close to us, but *everyone* else. Doing God's will is sometimes difficult, but overall the burden is lighter than the cares of the world, because God is there to help us and carry it with us. Let's trust him and turn to him rather than the world.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-546721347580507072024-03-16T18:20:00.003-06:002024-03-16T18:20:58.350-06:002 Corinthians 8:11-12 -- On Doing What We Can"Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."<br>
2 Corinthians 8:11-12<br>
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I like the idea of God taking into account our capabilities. If we are willing to serve him... to make the world better, to help pthers, then we should act on it, knowing that God isn't going to expect us to be perfect at it, but that he accepts what we have to give, and doesn't expect us to be someone else, or grade on a curve. :) He only considers what we can do, and that is enough. ... And he will help us learn to be better. Today, let's jump in and do the good that is in our hearts, and work with God to help and serve and make things better. If we do that, God will magnify our efforts and help us improve.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-36424017691057348512024-03-15T20:55:00.004-06:002024-03-15T20:55:33.247-06:003 Nephi 1:19-20 -- On Signs, Prophets, and Testimony"And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given.
And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets."<br>
3 Nephi 1:19-20<br>
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I love this sign, showing the people that Christ was born, even though they were in a different land. It's cool to see the timelines of different scriptural accounts match up perfectly like this. Also cool that the sign was given with perfect timing to save the people and convince so many of the truth.<br>
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In just a few verses though, they begin to be decieved again by Satan, and in a couple of chapters back to full-scale wickedness... so, as with Laman and Lemuel, we see that these dramatic signs aren't the real conversion tools that we sometimes want them to be. A dramatic sign from the Lord can be amazing, but if we don't build on that and learn more of the gospel, learn to walk in the Spirit, and learn more about God, then we are in danger of falling away from the truth as quickly as we turned towards it in that important moment.<br>
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Today, let's listen to the prophets even when we don't see a dramatic sign, and let's build our testimonies by studying the words of Christ and by learning of him. Let's appreciate signs for what they are, and turn to God, but also remember that we grow up in God little by little with sustained effort rather than all in that one dramatic moment :)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-27615801451612781462024-03-14T19:02:00.004-06:002024-03-14T19:02:42.764-06:00Ether 12:4 -- On Belief and Hope and a Better World"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."<br>
Ether 12:4<br>
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I love the idea here of belief in God leading directly to hope, and stability and good works. We don't always make those connections as we are learning our way in the gospel, but they are definitely there. Hoping in the better world that God promises us helps us to see what could be kind of superimposed over what is, and it opens us up to possibilities, not only for ourselves and our growth, but we can see the hope that there is for others as well... the chance that we all have to grow and change and unify under God's protection and leadership, as he teaches us to overcome the world and ourselves and become those "otherworldly," better people, ready to live the higher law of a better place and uplift everything and everyone around us.
Today, let's catch the vision of this verse and be part of pitching in with good works and confidence as we build a better world after God's instructions and pattern. That's what life is for... to improve and ascend to a higher level of perfection and joy, little by little, with God helping us learn as we go.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-88002686191163227282024-03-13T20:27:00.001-06:002024-03-13T20:27:07.022-06:00Mosiah 27:29 -- On Being Snatched, and Saved, and Becoming New"My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more."<br>
Mosiah 27:29<br>
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I love the idea of being snatched here. Not as in kidnapped, but snatched "out of an everlasting burning" as it mentions in the previous verse. The idea of being saved... but not only saved, but born again, set on a new path--one full of hope and light rather than what and where we were before, becoming "new creatures" as it mentions in verse 26.<br>
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That is what God does for us. His kind of saving is complete, not just snatching us out of the fire, but teaching us to avoid it and go to a better place where we can be happy forever. ... Today, let's work on learning that lesson and traveling God's path, the path of hope, in our newness of life, letting go of the old self and reaching for what God offers--believing in that vision.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-88812453898740576932024-03-12T20:19:00.003-06:002024-03-12T20:19:41.687-06:00D&C 121:28 -- On Nothing Withheld"A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest."<br>
Doctrine and Covenants 121:28<br>
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This is interesting. We have several versions of the creation story and whether the word God is plural or singular changes depending on what version you read... and I think it is kind of cool to say in this verse that we'll understand it all eventually. And also, it sort of implies that that isn't the most crucial question of eternity, which means maybe we spend too much time debating it here. We know that we pray to God, our heavenly father, and we know that Jesus Christ died for our sins and still lives to guide and help us, and that the Holy Ghost helps us every day to recognize truth... maybe we don't need to debate it further. We can just trust God and know that he will answer all of our questions in time.<br>
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Today, let's embrace the things that we know and that we have learned from God, and maybe step back and let go of some of our worry about the things that we don't know. Not that we shouldn't be curious and seek answers from the Lord, for sure, but perhaps we can be more patient and more faithful, knowing that God knows what he is doing, even when we don't understand exactly what that is all the time. Someday we will, and until then let's work on our patience and faith and developing our relationship with God.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-31919395277605978092024-03-11T19:18:00.003-06:002024-03-11T19:18:38.491-06:00Ephesians 4:11-15 -- On Perfecting and Growing Up"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;<br>
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:<br>
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:<br>
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;<br>
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"<br><br>
Ephesians 4:11-15<br>
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I like the idea here of all of these resources that are all designed to help us through the perfecting process, or growing up into Godliness. ... I think we sometimes expect God to be mysterious and complex... he is God and knows everything after all, but he also knows that we are children, making silly, childish mistake, at least in a spiritual sense, and he has very plain things to say to us. Hold on to truth and love, stick with what God says and not what people say.<br>
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Today, let's do all we can to grow towards God--to put that goal first in our lives, and let other things take lower priorities or fall off the list if they aren't compatible with that first item. This is our life, and all of it was given to us so we could learn this spiritual stuff and figure out our lives and our desires and our true selves, with God. He can help us with the hard questions, with going from who we are to who we truly want to be. Let's stick with him, and partake of his hope, and move forward and upward, towards eventual, but thankfully not immediately expected, perfection.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-4549337988612726472024-03-10T19:17:00.000-06:002024-03-10T19:17:04.595-06:00D&C 80:3 -- On Going Forth"Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss."<br>
Doctrine and Covenants 80:3<br>
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David Bednar mentioned this scripture today in a meeting that I attended, and I really liked the idea that he pointed out here, that God is just asking people to move. The direction doesn't matter, because if they are going with the Spirit and communicating with God, he will lead them along, and there is likely plenty of God's work to be done everywhere. :)<br>
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I kind of love the idea of not being able to fail/go the wrong direction ("ye cannot go amiss"), as long as we are doing what the Lord asks. It makes all of it a little less scary, right? We can choose whatever direction we want to help, and God will help us get where we need to go. Today, let's go forth to do God's will, and trust God to teach us the way, and to guide us to where we can do good.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-26923016698169997442024-03-09T19:55:00.002-07:002024-03-09T19:55:26.240-07:001 Timothy 6:4-8 -- On Contentment"He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,<br>
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.<br>
But godliness with contentment is great gain.<br>
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.<br>
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."<br>
1 Timothy 6:4-8<br>
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Reading this today got me thinking about contentment. Like happiness, and so many other things, we often expect those things to be externally granted... to find a place in our lives where we finally have what we need to be happy, or content, or at peace... and I think that what God is teaching us here, and elsewhere in the scriptures, is that those things aren't external. As long as we have what we need to sustain life (here, food and raiment), we can find contentment within.<br>
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I don't think that God is telling us that we can't think about interesting things, but like anything else that we let into our minds, we should be choosy about how it affects us and the people around us. Are we just arguing and making ourselves upset, or are we learning about other viewpoints and spreading goodness? Probably a big difference in how we approach things like conversing online, just as there is with what television and music we listen to... or the kinds of language we choose to use. Everything we choose can bring us closer to God and other people, or pull us farther away.<br>
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Today, let's make sure our surmisings aren't evil, and inasmuch as we know how, let's choose contentment, peace, happiness, and all good things, rather than inviting the opposite into our lives. If we aren't sure how, then let's go to God and open ourselves up to his lessons on learning that. He is always willing to help, through his scriptures and through direct life experience. :)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-34549413748808091702024-03-08T20:48:00.002-07:002024-03-08T20:48:51.915-07:00John 5:5-6 -- On Healing"And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.<br>
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"<br>
John 5:5-6<br>
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Thirty-eight years seems like a long time to deal with an infirmity, and it reminds me also of the woman that touched the hem of Christ's clothes and who had been dealing with a problem for quite a while as well. ... It makes me think that healing will come for everyone, and is available to everyone.<br>
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Our challenges aren't always visible, or physical, but we all have weaknesses and things that are hard for us to deal with. God gives us weaknesses so that we can learn to overcome them and find our inner strength. And God is there with us along the way, to help, and guide, and eventually, to heal, perfect, and make whole.<br>
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The trouble of course is not only our unbelief, but our impatience. We want things to be instantly perfect. But if they were, we wouldn't learn much. Perhaps today we can take a step back and focus on the learning opportunities that are all around us. Meanwhile, we can also believe in and hope for the healing to come.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-35554032424398522742024-03-07T20:27:00.003-07:002024-03-07T20:27:33.382-07:001 Corinthians 6:7-8 -- On Our Brethren"Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren."<br>
1 Corinthians 6:7-8<br>
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I feel like it is so easy to see the wrong side on this one... accepting wrong just seems so hard to accept, and allowing someone to cheat you... wow. But then, stepping back, it is also easier to see God's perspective on this. What else is forgiveness about, if we can't let go of something that has been done to us... and what else is love and learning to be a Zion people if we don't give other people the same benefit of the doubt as we would wish for ourselves, or that we would grant to other members of our family.<br>
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And they *are* family, which I think is the core of God's message here, right? Why are we harming and cheating each other, when we are brothers and sisters? And maybe today that is what we need to remember most of all... all of those people out there that we are complaining about and that we might not like... they are our family. Let's do all we can to learn to love them and forgive them, as we would anyone we think of as our own. God can help us learn, because he truly loves us all, and knows the goodness within each of us.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-38915121414908162402024-03-06T19:07:00.003-07:002024-03-06T19:07:21.929-07:00Words of Mormon 1:7 -- On Whispers and Trust"And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will."<br>
Words of Mormon 1:7<br>
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I love the perfect knowledge of God, and that through his Spirit he prepares us for things to come, even though we have no idea how it will work, he guides our paths. With the advantage of hindsight we can sometimes look back and see how important certain events and choices were, but in the moment we're often dismayed or worried about them becuase we don't know why things aren't working out the way we wanted them to. Luckily, God's way is always better, and so, if we can step back and God grants us a little of his perspective, we can learn to trust that, whatever comes, God knows what he is doing. If we can do that, then we can always learn to adjust to our circumstances, knowing that there is a reason.<br>
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Today, let's remember that there is a wise purpose. That doesn't mean we should walk through life as Zombies, believing that what we do doesn't matter. That isn't true. But when things work out differently than we expect, let's trust that God knows the path, and that if we stick with him, we are always going to get to someplace better than before. :)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-806798810407855862024-03-05T20:30:00.002-07:002024-03-05T20:30:16.355-07:00Enos 1:12 -- Prayer and Labor"And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith."<br>
Enos 1:12<br>
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I like the idea of prayer being a labor... not because prayer is a hard thing to learn, but because building a relationship with God is hard work, but also noble effort that gets us closer to everything good in life, and even after life is over. It teaches us to love, and to be better than we are.<br>
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Today, let's try the virtue of the word of God and pput some effort into prayer. As we do, and as we get better at it, and learn more about God, we'll start being on the same page with God more often, and we'll know how to ask for the right things that God longs to assist us with. :)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-53160900866107580512024-03-04T20:12:00.004-07:002024-03-04T20:12:42.096-07:00Jacob 4:10 -- On Taking Counsel"Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works."<br>
Jacob 4:10<br>
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Another good reminder to listen to the Lord. It's easy to think that we know the proper way to go, or that the ideal that we have in our minds of the way our lives and the course of the world should go is the right one, but we can't see what God sees, and compared to him, we really know very little about how things fit together... but he is willing to teach us, if we will listen and learn and take his advice.<br>
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Today, let's remember that we are not the source of all wisdom, and that God *is* exactly that. :)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-90344586141601398322024-03-03T19:24:00.001-07:002024-03-03T19:24:18.831-07:00Jacob 4:7 -- On Weakness"Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."<br>
Jacob 4:7<br>
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It isn't often very fun to realize our weaknesses, but it's likely essential knowledge so that we can learn humility, and remember how much we need God. If we could just handle everything by ourselves, we'd never (in most circumstances) make big changes in our lives, and take the leap to change and grow in new and different ways. It helps ground us so that we can't kid ourselves that we are better than anyone else, but that we are all alike in our deep need for God, and his atonement and mercy.<br>
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Today, let's recognize our weaknesses as God shows them to us, and work on them... but also recognize that God can make up for them, and help us with them, and that we're not failures just because we fail... the point is to get up and keep trying, and let God teach us how to do better. It's part of growing up, and we are still children, spiritually. We don't have to control everything. We can let God do that, and focus on trying to love God and the people around us better.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-42130104433823959822024-03-02T18:31:00.005-07:002024-03-02T18:31:52.362-07:00Alma 7:15 -- On Committing to God"Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth abeset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism."<br>
Alma 7:15<br>
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What strikes me today as I read this is that our relationship with God is a committment. It isn't just a one way thing where God helps us and get a perfect life... he does help, but our lives are supposed to have trials, and dedication to God also requires a committment from us to work at keeping the commandments, at living a good life. We don't have to be instantly perfect, of course, but we're committing to do our best, and prioritize God in our lives.<br>
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Today, let's remember to work on our committment to God, and put in some effort in doing as he asks, even if it is just a small thing as we start out. Read a few verses of scripture (as above), say a prayer. ... The little things accumulate, and, with God's help, assist us in becoming better, and learning more--little by little, leading to a better future with God.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-24153525781139346632024-03-01T20:26:00.003-07:002024-03-01T20:26:29.201-07:00Romans 10:13 -- On Prayer"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."<br>
Romans 10:13<br>
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I like the simplicity here. As it goes on it talks about the chain of things that have to be true if you are calling on God, and I don't think that it is a one-time only, get-out-of-jail-free type thing that you do and then you are golden, but the overall principle is truly simple. Prayer works. It matters.<br>
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Today, let's call on the name of the Lord, and continue to do so, so that we can learn how our lives can change and improve over time as we learn to communicate with the Lord and trust his will over our own.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-73169321834416662052024-02-29T20:24:00.001-07:002024-02-29T20:24:04.896-07:00Romans 5:3-5 -- On Tribulation, Patience, Hope, and Love"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;<br>
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:<br>
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."<br>
Romans 5:3-5<br>
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This strikes me today because I think it is saying there at the end that we can't be ashamed of hope because the Holy Ghost helps us to ground our hope in things as they actually will be... the happy ending, in other words, is real. :)<br>
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I'm not sure I enjoy learning patience, but it is a very good teacher, and learning it more and more improves our lives, helps us to get some perspective and experience, and teaches us hope and love.<br>
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Today, let's embrace the opportunity to learn, even if it is through trubulation sometimes... and let's grow in hope and love and in faith in the Lord and the surety of his promises.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-47633199174669827322024-02-28T19:42:00.001-07:002024-02-28T19:42:32.354-07:00Isaiah 18:3 -- On Readiness"All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye."<br>
Isaiah 18:3<br>
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The flag and the trumpet here are probably symbolic, but a good reminder to look out for them anyway. When God tells us that he will lift up an ensign (flag/sign), or blow a trumpet, he is telling us that there are signs, if we have our eyes and ears open to him, and basically that we should be ready.<br>
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Today, let's improve our readiness by sticking close to the Spirit through prayer and scripture study. Let's be of service to God and our fellow beings. As we follow God's commandments and work to do his will, we'll be more prepared to see the signs of God's coming as they are presented.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-64960968113740443772024-02-27T21:18:00.001-07:002024-02-27T21:18:11.887-07:00Isaiah 15:3 -- On Bad Days"In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth: on the tops of their houses, and in their streets, every one shall howl, weeping abundantly."<br>
Isaiah 15:3<br>
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This doesn't sound like a good day. I was thinking though... just like the cloud of darkness or the storm or the dark and dreary waste that all come when we are trying to seek God... God warns us that there are bad days to come. That even though we are trying to stay on the path, storms and darkness are going to beset us and we have to hold on to the iron rod to make it through.<br>
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God also promises us that after all the bad days will come a glorious happy eternity though, and that is the goal that we should have our minds set on... the whole "Think Celestial" idea is about that happy eternity that comes after we weather the storms and the trials... and even though it is absolutely not fun in the moment... it is heartbreaking and desolate to go through the sackcloth and weeping stages... those things, if we use them to motivate ourselves and stick close to God... they can help us learn and help us become the better, Celestial people that we have the potential to be.<br>
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Today, let's work on learning from the bad days and trusting in God for the good eternity to come. :)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-68863268536329007812024-02-26T19:59:00.001-07:002024-02-26T19:59:35.348-07:00Isaiah 5:7 -- On Trusting and Following"For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry."<br>
Isaiah 5:7<br>
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I like the explanation of the symbolism here, and a good warning about being careless or cruel with our fellow humans. Today, let's trust in God and work with him to make things better. He has prepared all things, and offered his help. We just have to accept that help, and follow his instructions.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-1815899358565333962024-02-25T20:10:00.000-07:002024-02-25T20:10:17.990-07:00Proverbs 19:11 -- On Letting Go"The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression."<br>
Proverbs 19:11<br>
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I like the idea here of deferring anger and passing over transgression. I think it is a message from God telling us that sometimes we just need to let it go. Maybe more than sometimes.<br>
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Today, let's try to let our anger go, and give people a pass when they do something wrong where it makes sense. That isn't always appropriate, but God can help us know what to stand up for and what to let go. Either way, let's work on being kind and forgiving wherever we can, embracing mercy, and trusting God to deal with necessary justice.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-78373662029945877232024-02-24T20:44:00.007-07:002024-02-24T20:44:48.974-07:00Proverbs 24:21-22 -- On Trusting God and His Changelessness"My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:
For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?"<br>
Proverbs 24:21-22<br>
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The "given to change" part is interesting... God is eternal and changeless, but individually, we definitely need to change in order to improve. I think the idea in this verse is more one of not fomenting the overthrow of the government or wanting to be ruled by someone besides God.<br>
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Maybe today we can work on recognizing the wisdom of God's will and his commandments. They will help us work towards a perfect society and towards becoming our best selves. That isn't always true of rulers, but it is definitely always true of God.Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912671205860906030.post-34619147017921417512024-02-23T20:56:00.002-07:002024-02-23T20:56:16.267-07:00Nephi 16:10 -- "And it came to pass that as my father arose in the morning, and went forth to the tent door, to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round aball of curious workmanship; and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one bpointed the way whither we should go into the wilderness."<br>
1 Nephi 16:10<br>
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I love this story for a lot of reasons. First, it is really cool just to wake up and find some new gadget at your door. More importantly though, God's guidance as a physical device? Wow. And it works just like the priesthood and the rest of God's power... if you are doing the right things, then you are in tune and it functions. If not, not. Self-limiting power like that is awesome as well. Incorruptible... you can't use the power if you are choosing the "dark side."<br>
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Symbolically, it is really God reinforcing his love through giving us the gift of his guidance... and although we don't all get a cool Liahona, we all can partake of that guidance in many other ways... the scrptures being perhaps the best example. With them, God can inspire him with different writing from time to time, just as he did with this device, and he can also teach us the way to go.<br>
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Today, let's work on following God's directions and being grateful for his gifts and guidance. :)Suzanne Bennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10390209922646950758noreply@blogger.com0