7 And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.
(Ether 2:7)
In the previous chapter, the Lord promised to lead the brother of Jared and his family to “a land which is choice above all the lands of the earth” (Ether 1:42). After leading them through the wilderness, “into that quarter where there never had man been,” and after they had crossed “many waters, being directed continually by the hand of the Lord,” they arrived at “that great sea which divideth the lands” (Ether 2:5, 6, 13). They seem to have been happy there. They stayed for four years and “remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord” (Ether 2:14). There is an implication that they were content, that they had even become complacent. They were in a good place, and they didn’t see the need to continue their journey.
But as Moroni tells us in the passage above, the Lord was determined to keep His promise. He “would not suffer that they should stop” halfway through their journey. He knew the “choice land” He had promised to lead them to, and they had not yet arrived.
I wonder how often we are ready to settle for a portion of the blessings the Lord has promised to us. Like Amulek, do we enjoy our family and friends, our lifestyle, and our achievements so much that we fail to hear the divine messages which will lead us to greater success and happiness? (See Alma 10:4-6.) Fortunately for us, our Father in Heaven loves us enough to keep calling. He has greater blessings in store for us than we are aware, and He wants us to receive all of them.
Today, I will avoid being complacent. I will be grateful for the blessings I have received, but I will not allow them to dull my spiritual sensitivity or to prevent me from continuing to move forward, following the guidance of the Lord. I will trust that the Lord will lead me to the full blessings He has in store for me if I continue to press forward, with steadfastness and hope, “even unto the land of promise.”