50 And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.
51 And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?
(1 Nephi 17:50-51)
Laman and Lemuel see their brother Nephi, who has no shipbuilding experience, attempting to build a ship to carry them to an unknown destination. The whole thing looks ridiculous to them. But Nephi sees something different. He sees himself working with God to fulfill a task which God commanded him to do.
As he testified to his father when he was commanded to acquire the brass plates, Nephi knows something important about our Heavenly Father: He is not a hands-off parent who makes demands of His children and then expects them to meet those expectations on their own. He commands us to do things which are difficult, but when we exercise faith to accomplish those tasks, He provides the help we need. (See 1 Nephi 3:7.)
Today, I will remember this principle. As I consider the commandments I have received from God, I will remember that I haven’t been left alone to accomplish these things. He will help me, He will encourage and strengthen me, He will guide me, and He will provide assistance where needed. If I were attempting to fulfill these commandments on my own, the probability of failure would be high, but with His help, I can have confidence that I will be successful.