Ephesians 6:4-6 -- On Children, Masters, and Focusing on God

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;"
Ephesians 6:4-6


I like the idea here of the nurture and admonition of the Lord... God cares for us, but also admonishes us and helps us know when we are straying off the path. That's part of his love... wanting us to improve and be all we can be.

I also like the idea that not only should we treat our children as God would, but that we should serve our masters (in this case perhaps our employers) as though we were serving Christ as well--not just going through the motions or doing the bare minimum, but sincerely throwing ourselves into our jobs and finding the good and the joy... learning to love what we do.

These definitely aren't things that are always easy to do, but they do feel worth doing... treating more people the way that we would like to be treated, even if they aren't doing so in return, much as God loves us. Today, let's remember that inasmuch as we treat people good or bad, it is like doing it to Christ, and let's take that to heart with kids, with our employers, and in whatever other situations we are in today.

Mosiah 25:22 -- On Repentance and Faith

"And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all one church, yea, even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God."
Mosiah 25:22


We're often eager to learn new truths from God, but I think sometimes we need kind of a back-to-basics program instead, because we let the new things, or our desire for deeper mysteries, distract us from the most important things, and these are a few of those most important things.

Perhaps today we can focus just on repentance and faith and let go of the rest of it... working on letting go of our sins and on working on a relationship with God. I think if we truly dedicate some time to just those things, we'll discover that there is a lot of depth even in the simplest of things with God, and that he has much more to teach us.

Jacob 5:26-27 -- On Being Spared a Little Longer

"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire.
But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season."
Jacob 5:26-27


I like this idea of waiting a little longer, because I think it encompasses a lot of what the atonement is about, and what God is willing to do for us. The servant asks the Lord to wait a little longer so that more can be saved... so that we can learn and grow and change and ripen, and hopefully end up as good fruit rather than evil.

Later in the allegory we read "And thou beheldest that a part thereof brought forth good fruit, and a part thereof brought forth wild fruit; and because I plucked not the branches thereof and cast them into the fire, behold, they have overcome the good branch that it hath withered away" (verse 45). ... God knows that by prolonging our time here that we might wither away, or on the other hand that we might cause others to wither away. In other words, he knows that we are going to have a bad influence on and harm each other sometimes. And he takes that risk, knowing the consequences, to help give us space to repent and change.

In the end, God will cut away all the bad, restore the good fruit to his vineyard, and eventually complete the harvest. Until then though, we have some extra time to ripen and flourish. Let's take advantage of that time that we are given, for "a little longer," and infuse ourselves and the world with good. Let's be the good fruit and influence others for good rather than evil. And let's be thankful to God for the time we have to explore and discover, finding joy and goodness in the world around us.

Mosiah 24:16 -- On Faith and Patience

"And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage."
Mosiah 24:16


I really like the recipe here of faith and patience leading to deliverance. Both are hard things, and I don't think that they can exist without each other, at least in a gospel context. To have patience, we have to have some faith that things are going to work out, and in order to have faith, we have to have it over a period of time, not just in one bright moment... patience teaches us faith. I think they also build on each other. If we have a little of one, then we can have a little of the other, and keep working on that, back and forth, learning from God, and learning to trust his Spirit, his word, and his deliverance. Today, let's work on our faith and our patience as we look to God for health, strength, compassion, and deliverance.

Mormon 7:7 -- On Fallibility, Humility, and Repentance

"Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved."
Mormon 7:7


This is a good reminder that we are all fallible... that we need improvement, that we need help and guidance. That knowledge helps us to be humble and learn to accept help instead of thinking that we can do it all alone, or that we don't need God. That knowledge is also essential so that we can learn to repent--to admit that we often don't know what we are doing, and with God's help to change ourselves so that we aren't the people who made those mistakes anymore. Let's be humble and repentent today. Let's remember our fallibility, and God's infallibility, and get his help in repenting and doing all we can to improve, and heal where we have harmed, and thank God for his atonement that allows us to grow and change and which eventually can resolve all of the problems we created and can't undo.

Joseph Smith History 1:13 -- On Asking God

"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture."
Joseph Smith History 1:13


I love that this is Joseph contemplating James 1:5 and then deciding to ask God, and that this is now a verse of scripture that can inspire us to do the same thing. God offers to teach us, to help us, to grant us wisdome, as well as so many other promises... to remember important things, to learn to love, to help us to change our hearts and to learn to have a disposition to do good.

We don't have to wander in the darkness. God is a God of Light, and wants us to understand and to see clearly. Let's take him up on his offer to help, and learn all that we can. We are all in need of wisdom, just as Joseph was. We also need light, and love, and so many things that God offers us freely. Let's let go of distractions, and take some time to learn of God and catch a glimpse of the far better future that he offers us.

Psalms 58:4-5 -- On Snakes and Charmers and Hearing God with our Hearts

"Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely."
Psalms 58:4-5


This was an interesting one to me today, talking about the wicked that speak lies. Comparing to snakes I was thinking about what it would mean to be a deaf adder.

Wikipedia tells me that snakes are able to sense sound, but not actually hear the music, so the movement is what they follow which is interesting, but I think the point here is that even a snake, which is symbolic of evil perhaps here, and definitely other places in scripture, will allow itself to be lulled or entranced for a time, not attacking, but by comparison the wicked just stay evil all the time, and don't even soften that much.

So perhaps the lesson to us is that we shouldn't be deaf to the Lord's music. Instead of being deaf and wicked (and snakes), we should choose to listen, choose to act righteously and uprightly, and match our hearts to those actions rather than hiding evil in our hearts. Today, let's turn to the Lord and hear his voice. Even if we do have evil in our hearts, let's hear his voice and allow him to teach us how to let it go.

Psalms 25:7-8 -- On Learning and Changing

"Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.
Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way."
Psalms 25:7-8


I like the idea here that God is willing to forgive our sins as we change and improve, and that (because of Christ's atonement), we don't have to be stuck in the "sins of [our] youth" forever.

Today, let's be thankful that the Lord is willing to teach us as sinners, and that perfection isn't required for prayer... so that there is hope for us all, and always a way to reach out to the Lord.

John 10:10 -- On Seeking Abundant Life

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
John 10:10


Christ is talking about himself as the good shepherd here, and I love the idea that we are God's, and he will never take advantage of us, harm us, or even just neglect us. He is the one whose job, and joy, it is to love and care for us, and he wants us to not only just survive, or endure, but thrive and be happy. Everything that he does is designed for our good.

Today, let's remember that, and trust God, turning to him when we need help and relying on his advice, rather than prioritizing the voices of others or even ourselves. We don't always know what is good for us as well as God does, and doing things his way will always work out better in the end, even if it takes us a while to understand why. As we choose God, we choose a better, more abundant, life. :)

Psalms 9:9-10 -- On Seeking God

"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."
Psalms 9:9-10


Good reminder that God can be our refuge, if we know how to include him in our lives, by calling on his name and by always seeking him and his will. Today, let's try to be a little better than we were yesterday, and look to God for our help.

Mosiah 20:24 -- On Peace

"And it came to pass that the king was pacified towards his people; and he said unto them: Let us go forth to meet my people, without arms; and I swear unto you with an oath that my people shall not slay thy people."
Mosiah 20:24


The whole idea of meeting an incoming army without weapons seems kind of scary/dangerous, but I like that they did it and it worked, and the whole idea of confronting aggression with peace. I think this works with individuals as well as armies. Sometimes a soft answer really does turn away wrath. We don't have to meet violence with violence.

Today as we meeting challenging situations, let's meet them with peace, and see if we can turn them around. As we look to God in our lives, the better ways to deal with things will get clearer.

Helaman 3:29-30 -- On Cutting Through the Snares

"Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—
And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."
Helaman 3:29-30


I really like the idea of cutting through snares of the devil here. Sometimes it seems like there are a lot of those, and Satan is working overtime to drag us down... but despite the traps and the troubles, God can lead us through and bring us safe to heaven. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Today, let's pray about our troubles, ask for his help, and then trust him, and follow his instructions. As we turn to him, he can cut through the snares and help us find our way out of any trouble.

Helaman 4:14-15 -- On Consequences and Repentance

"But behold, Moronihah did preach many things unto the people because of their iniquity, and also Nephi and Lehi, who were the sons of Helaman, did preach many things unto the people, yea, and did prophesy many things unto them concerning their iniquities, and what should come unto them if they did not repent of their sins.
And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper."
Helaman 4:14-15


Knowing the consequences is definitely not always fun, but it does give us some important context for our choices. We make some pretty awful choices sometimes, and it is important that we understand where those choices lead, so that we have the motivation to repent and change... to take the second (etc.) chances that Christ died to offer us.

Today, let's consider our ways, and understand the weight of our actions. If we want the consequences that we see before us, then we are free to choose a life without God. But God encourages us to improve our options through repentance. Let's recognize the truth when it is presented to us, and be brave enough to follow God's true path.

D&C 117:5-7 -- On Letting Go

"Let the properties of Kirtland be turned out for debts, saith the Lord. Let them go, saith the Lord, and whatsoever remaineth, let it remain in your hands, saith the Lord.
For have I not the fowls of heaven, and also the fish of the sea, and the beasts of the mountains? Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies of all the armies of the nations of the earth?
Therefore, will I not make solitary places to bud and to blossom, and to bring forth in abundance? saith the Lord."
Doctrine and Covenants 117:5-7


Good advice from the Lord on letting go. It is a hard thing for us, because we have learned ownership and how *not* to share from the world. God, even in the hardest of times, is helping us learn a better way of living, and ultimately to trust that he will do what he promises, and take care of us if we do his will and put him first. ... Doesn't mean it will always be perfect, but that is part of learning faith. Remembering God in the good times and the bad, and trusting that he is doing exactly the right thing for our lives every single time.

Today, let's work on letting go of whatever is standing in the way of trusting the Lord. As we learn to put God first, then he will bless us abundantly and grant our righteous desires... and in his hands we will prosper, as the Lord makes even the solitary places to blossom. :)

Ether 3:12 -- On Truth

"And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie."
Ether 3:12


I love the idea that God can't lie. Not that he is incapable, but it is antithetical to his nature. As the Brother of Jared says here, he is a God of Truth. When we can trust nothing else, including ourselves, we can still trust God. He will always tell us the truth, and welcome us when we turn to him.

Today, let's trust what God has to say, whether through the scriptures, his prophets, or through direct revelation. And let's work on making our lives more truthful as well.

Jonah 4:6 -- On Comfort

"And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd."
Jonah 4:6


I think it is cool that God did this for Jonah even while Jonah was mad at him. Later he turned it into a lesson, perhaps when Jonah was more ready to listen, but for the moment, he just comforted him with some shade. I think God does this for all of us at times. He provides us some temporary comfort even if we're causing our own distress... to help us through it, and saves the lesson for tomorrow. The lessons need to come, so that we can learn to change and grow into better people, but God loves us deeply and knows that we also need some time to work through it all.

Today, let's be thankful for his comfort and help.

Alma 30:45 -- On Signs

"And yet do ye go about, leading away the hearts of this people, testifying unto them there is no God? And yet will ye deny against all these witnesses? And he said: Yea, I will deny, except ye shall show me a sign."
Alma 30:45


Korihor made a mistake here... one that benefitted the church, for sure, but since he was aiming at proving there wasn't a God, and he already knew there was one, he probably shouldn't have provoked God with a direct confrontation here. God isn't opposed to miracles, but demanding a sign? Seems like asking for trouble.
Today, let's have a little faith and even if we are confused and distraught, let's trust just enough to pray and talk to God about it, letting him show us the truth in his time and his way rather than demanding that God do things our way and show us a sign. When we do that we're very fortunate if it does not come, and God gives us time to rethink. If it does come, it is likely to come in a way that we aren't going to like, as in this case.

Alma 30:40-41 -- On Evidence, and Faith

"And now what evidence have ye that there is no God, or that Christ cometh not? I say unto you that ye have none, save it be your word only.
But, behold, I have all things as a testimony that these things are true; and ye also have all things as a testimony unto you that they are true; and will ye deny them? Believest thou that these things are true?"
Alma 30:40-41


I like this part because Alma flips Korihor's argument around... Korihor was saying that no one can know if there is a Christ, and Alma says I do know... where is your evidence? Everything that exists is evidence of a God. It's interesting to think about how hard it is to believe that all of creation is just a big coincidence, since society usually seems to have the oppostite viewpoint.

It might have been interesting to listen to this conversation further, to hear the prophet's side, but Korihor jumps right to asking for a sign, and he gets one, to his sorrow. ... Today, let's give God a chance. Let's trust him a little, and see where it leads. Rather than assuming that things we can't see aren't there, let's give miracles a chance, and grow to understand that our eyes aren't seeing the full picture. Our minds, our hearts, and our spiritual senses are all other ways to perceive, and if we give God the benefit of the doubt and take a step towards him, he will take a step towards us, as slowly we learn to make that connection.

Psalms 22:11 -- On Help When There Is No Help

"Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help."
Psalms 22:11


I love the central idea of this... that God can be near us and help us when we have nobody. And I think that is probably the only reason that this life is tolerable during the dark times... because God will not leave us comfortless, even if everyone else, including ourselves, hates us and knows that we caused our own downfall. God will still be there to love us and pick us up again. That is part of his perfection, and a giant reason to love him. Even more, we can learn to love that way too--learn to be like him, and learn to love and help others. Let's turn to God for help, and to learn all we can. :)

Amos 8:11-12 -- On Valuing the Word of the Lord

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:
And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."
Amos 8:11-12

This reminded me of Isaiah "I will make a man more precious than fine gold..." (Isaiah 13:12), I think because the contrast seems designed to emphasize the value of the thing that will be missing. God is asking us not to take things for granted, and specifically in these verses to be thankful for the word of the Lord. God did a lot of miracles to preserve the records for us, and they are here to help us in our lives... to teach us the right way, to help us towards happiness. Let's value the gift of the gospel and learn from what God has to say. I mean, he's only the creator of the universe... we can probably pick up a few things here and there. ;)

Obadiah 1:15 -- On Rewards and Actions

"For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head."
Obadiah 1:15


God's justice amazes me sometimes. I know that we see a lot of inequity and tragedy in the earth... not saying that isn't happening. God's justice isn't immediate, but his way is always fair to everyone in the end... those that haven't gotten a fair shake will get one. What amazes me that we all get the opportunity to make real choices... one of the reasons that evil has to exist, and time too. It is all about figuring ourselves out, understanding life, and making a real choice about whether to love other people and love God, or not. Our reward will return upon our heads, which could be a curse, but which could also be the tenderest blessing, depending on what our choices have been.

And if we stop and realize that we don't actually want what we've been dishing out, then God has given us repentance, so we can change and do better. It's better than any ranking or grading system... just getting back what we give. ... Today, let's try to give more, and do better.

Alma 5:38 -- On Our Fold

"Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd."
Alma 5:38


The next line after this asks us what fold we are in, if we aren't in Christ's fold. ... Sometimes I don't think that we really get that God's purpose... this whole world and everything around us is designed to save us. God wants to gather us in and help us, but so often we refuse him, thinking we can make our own fold and that somehow we'll be safe on our own, sheep without our shepherd.

Today, let's think seriously about our assumptions and make sure that we're not underestimating what God is, and everything that he is trying to do for us. A relationship with him is worth the time... indeed, it is worth more than any other single thing in our lives. Let's learn more about our creator, and reach out to him in prayer.

Jeremiah 10:23-24 -- On Humility and Correction

"O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing."
Jeremiah 10:23-24


Saying here that the way of man is not in ourselves is a good reminder that we need God, and his ways are higher than our ways. It seems like I spend a lot of my time relearning some of those basic lessons... that I need God--that I need to be humble and rely on God, allowing him to help and teach me rather than trying to shut him out and trying it alone, as I slip into far too often.

Today, let's remember that our ways are not in ourselves, and let's look to God and ask him to correct our paths, so that we don't end up in the wrong place.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 -- On Lovingkindness, Judgement, and Righteousness

"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."
Jeremiah 9:23-24


I love this reminder that wisdom, might, and riches can be good if used correctly, the things that we should be glorying in are a relationship with the Lord, and the fact that he can restore love, kindness, judgement, and righteousness to the earth. We don't seem to be able to do very well at that when left to our own devices.

Today, let's turn to the Lord to help us with the things that we can't do for ourselves, and learn more about him, and try to be more like him, little by little, so that we can someday learn how to be the kind of people that can enjoy living in a better world like that. :)

Jeremiah 6:16 -- On Old Paths and Good Paths

"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."
Jeremiah 6:16


I thought this was interesting today because saying "old paths" kind of sounds obsolete... which could be just me, but could also be something that we as a society are starting to buy into. We're used to having to replace things in a lot of cases rather than fixing them because they are old models, or sometimes we're forced into it through planned obsolescence. But this is God and he is asking us to walk the old paths, which I think means, at least in part, that we should read about those who have gone before us in the scriptures, and learn from them, and, especially in the case of reading and learning about Jesus Christ... walk in their ways.

The gospel doesn't get old or out of date. God might update policies and schedules as we learn more, but the gospel itself is eternal. It's always going to be about loving God and learning to love each other, no matter how the world changes around us. Today, let's be wise and follow God's advice rather than rejecting him and walking in our own ways. His way is the way of goodness, rest, and lasting happiness.

Alma 3:19 -- On Curses

"Now I would that ye should see that they brought upon themselves the curse; and even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon himself his own condemnation."
Alma 3:19


This struck me today because it is talking about a group of people marking themselves and fighting against another group. I don't think individuality or expressing ourselves is a bad thing, but I think the curseworthy thing here is dividing ourselves from others in order to attack them or force them to be more like we are, or to bring them under our control. God asks us to be unified, to help each other... to lift each other up, and that kind of division and intent to subjugate is basically the opposite of what God asks. Today, let's work on doing good to others, and emphasizing our commonalities rather than criticizing and attacking our differences.

Mosiah 18:7 -- On Building our Knowledge and Faith

"And it came to pass after many days there were a goodly number gathered together at the place of Mormon, to hear the words of Alma. Yea, all were gathered together that believed on his word, to hear him. And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord."
Mosiah 18:7


I like how Alma kept things simple here... not that they are simplistic doctrines at all, but the focus was on repentance, redemption, and faith. Christ encouraged his disciples to limit what they preached as well... I think because we really need to grasp some of the basics before we try to build on that. Line upon line. Kind of like how you wouldn't be able to just give a computer to a society that didn't have electricity yet. I mean, you could, of course, but they wouldn't get it or be able to use it. You would have to start out a lot more basic, and the more they learned and developed, the more you could offer. I think that is kind of how God works with us. There are things that we just can't understand yet, but the more we learn and build on what we know, the more we will be able to grasp.

Today, let's explore repentance, and redemption, and faith. We've probably encountered these ideas before, but we can go back and revisit them, and build a little bit more on them as we seek greater understanding from the Lord. Let's continue this process as we can... learning a little more, integrating what we know into our lives a little bit more, prioritizing God a little bit more. Let's learn line by line, and keep moving forward, step by step, as we strive to be better people and to learn what God has to teach.

Mosiah 2:16-17 -- On Service

"Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God.
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
Mosiah 2:16-17


I like this idea that whatever we are doing, anywhere, anytime... if it is good and helps other people... is serving God. It isn't just prayer and scripture study or callings and Sunday worship... it's all of it. And I wonder if we really got into the habit of thinking about it that way, if we would do better with all of it.

Today, as we serve God in situations outside of the church framework, let's not forget that we are still serving God. Let's keep that in mind, and do our best to serve him, and our fellow beings, wherever we are.