"And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul."
Psalms 106:10-15
We read the scriptures sometimes as though we're just observers. As though we're standing outside, looking through the window and thinking, wow... those Israelites sure were forgetful. Or, those Nephites should have remembered God better, or that David. Didn't he have enough wives already? ... And I think that we forget that in a very real way, these aren't just stories about other people. They are stories about ourselves. Joseph Smith understood that when he read James 1:5. He knew that the words applied to him... were about him. And I think that when scriptures speak to us, that is what we're realizing... that we have to "liken all scriptures unto us" (1 Nephi 19:23) to realize their real power.
These verses are written in a story about the Israelites, but they are about us. About our tendency to forget that we've been saved and redeemed and seen the miraculous. We believe, we sing God's praise, and then we quickly forget, we get impatient with God's timing and we ask for things that we don't need and shouldn't have, and God gives them to us... which starts the cycle over again, where we need to be saved... often from ourselves.
Today, let's not look through the window as we read and listen to the words of the prophets. Let's understand that we are the subject of all that is said, and our lives the focus of each lesson. Let's listen and learn and believe and sing praise, and not forget. Let's break the cycle, and never forget.
And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul."
Psalms 106:10-15
We read the scriptures sometimes as though we're just observers. As though we're standing outside, looking through the window and thinking, wow... those Israelites sure were forgetful. Or, those Nephites should have remembered God better, or that David. Didn't he have enough wives already? ... And I think that we forget that in a very real way, these aren't just stories about other people. They are stories about ourselves. Joseph Smith understood that when he read James 1:5. He knew that the words applied to him... were about him. And I think that when scriptures speak to us, that is what we're realizing... that we have to "liken all scriptures unto us" (1 Nephi 19:23) to realize their real power.
These verses are written in a story about the Israelites, but they are about us. About our tendency to forget that we've been saved and redeemed and seen the miraculous. We believe, we sing God's praise, and then we quickly forget, we get impatient with God's timing and we ask for things that we don't need and shouldn't have, and God gives them to us... which starts the cycle over again, where we need to be saved... often from ourselves.
Today, let's not look through the window as we read and listen to the words of the prophets. Let's understand that we are the subject of all that is said, and our lives the focus of each lesson. Let's listen and learn and believe and sing praise, and not forget. Let's break the cycle, and never forget.
No comments:
Post a Comment