Alma 24
Alma 24
The Lord worketh in many ways... verse 26. I totally agree. Sometimes I can only see one or two possible ways to get what I think I want/need, so I find myself petitioning the Lord. Sometimes things go my way, but often times He has another way He wants things to go. One of the greatest lessons in this life is to learn to accept that His ways are higher than mine.
In this chapter a thousand righteous people were slaughtered. At face value, that appears to be a tragedy. But when looked at through God's eyes and purposes, it was His way of converting more. The righteous that were slain were brought back to Him in glory (I have to believe that their pain was lessened as they died) and more than a thousand were converted because of it.
I know in my life I've gone through some very painful things that I see later were for my benefit and growth, as well as those around me. I also look at my little daughter whom we adopted last year. She's been through some terrible things that are just heartbreaking, but it was the path she had to take to get to us. I wonder if she volunteered to go down that path to reach me (After 2001 I was no longer able to have children. She was born in 2003) If that were true, would that affect how I see the situation. The answer for me is yes on both parts.
The Lord does work in many ways. The key is always trusting Him, even (or especially) when His ways don't always make sense.
What did you think/learn today?
The Lord worketh in many ways... verse 26. I totally agree. Sometimes I can only see one or two possible ways to get what I think I want/need, so I find myself petitioning the Lord. Sometimes things go my way, but often times He has another way He wants things to go. One of the greatest lessons in this life is to learn to accept that His ways are higher than mine.
In this chapter a thousand righteous people were slaughtered. At face value, that appears to be a tragedy. But when looked at through God's eyes and purposes, it was His way of converting more. The righteous that were slain were brought back to Him in glory (I have to believe that their pain was lessened as they died) and more than a thousand were converted because of it.
I know in my life I've gone through some very painful things that I see later were for my benefit and growth, as well as those around me. I also look at my little daughter whom we adopted last year. She's been through some terrible things that are just heartbreaking, but it was the path she had to take to get to us. I wonder if she volunteered to go down that path to reach me (After 2001 I was no longer able to have children. She was born in 2003) If that were true, would that affect how I see the situation. The answer for me is yes on both parts.
The Lord does work in many ways. The key is always trusting Him, even (or especially) when His ways don't always make sense.
What did you think/learn today?
The sacrifice of burying their weapons ultimately meant giving up their lives for their testimony of God. Sometimes that seems like the ultimate sacrifice. But today it does not.
ReplyDeleteToday I feel like giving my life for God is the easy sacrifice. It's the little things, the daily things, it is giving up my life in that sense, that can be the hardest.
Having an ill temper. Thinking unkind thoughts. Not being a wise steward of my time. Being impatient with myself. Feeling put out about other people's wants/needs and the interruption to my day they cause.
Somedays it feels like it would be easier for someone to hold a sword to my head and tell me to deny God than making it through the day with a positive attitude. Not that I want to test it!
My weapons of war, the thoughts and actions that drive the spirit away, are the ones I need to bury and refuse to take up again.
Really interesting thoughts ladies.
ReplyDeleteMichelle - when I was reading your thoughts on your adopted daughter it made me think of the Hilary Weeks song called Beautiful Heartbreak. If you have never heard it before, check it out on youtube.
Angie - I loved your thoughts on our modern day weapons of war that we need to bury. Very true.
I marked a lot of verses in this chapter. I need to develop more faith or courage or something, cause I don't think I could have just lay there and let them slaughter me. I would have been running I think. But they cared more for their spiritual wellbeing than their physical wellbeing, and that is how the saviour taught us to be in the scriptures. That the things of God are more important than the things of the flesh.
Alma 5:27 & 33
Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
Behold he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them and he saith: Repent and I will receive you.