Based on: Psalm 100 Core message: The gospel can bring pure joy into our lives if we will just get out of our own way and let it happen. Related Book of Mormon passages: 1 Nephi 1:15, 2 Nephi 9:3, 2 Nephi 11:8
Consoled, Restored, Refined
When we are passing through difficulties, what kind of assistance can we expect from God? As Elder Dale G. Renlund has pointed out, we can expect at least three things: Consolation: The prophet Jacob assured his people that God "will console you in your afflictions" (Jacob 3:1).Restoration: At the end of the book of Job, we read, "The Lord gave... Continue Reading →
“I Will Gather Them from Thence”
While serving in the palace of the king of Persia, Nehemiah was devastated to learn of the sorry state of the city of Jerusalem. The people who were left there were "in great affliction and reproach." The walls of the city were broken, and the gate had been burned. As Nehemiah pleaded with God for... Continue Reading →
“The Lord Looketh on the Heart”
As we grow closer to God, we learn to see other people differently. When Samuel met with Jesse in the small town of Bethlehem, he brought his own preconceptions and biases to the task of selecting a new king. The current king, which he had also selected, was tall and strong. He stood out in... Continue Reading →
“Them That Honour Me I Will Honour”
God loves all of His children, but that doesn't mean He is pleased with all of our decisions. Does He love us when we do wrong? Yes, more than we can imagine. He values us. He sees our potential, and He wants to help us achieve it. But He does not condone our wrong choices,... Continue Reading →
Segullah
God loved the children of Israel. He had heard their cries and had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. (See Exodus 3:7-8.) At Mount Sinai, after reminding them of all that He had done for them, He explained what kind of behavior would please Him: Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I... Continue Reading →
Forsaken
King David opens the 22nd psalm with a desperate cry: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?Psalm 22:1 By the end of the psalm, he reaffirms his conviction that God doesn't forget His children, but at first, we just hear his poignant cry of anguish. O... Continue Reading →
Your Healer
At a place which the children of Israel called Marah ("bitter"), because the water was undrinkable, the Lord taught Moses how to make the water sweet. He didn't have Moses use his rod or simply speak some words. Instead, He showed Moses a tree, which when placed in the water, made it sweet. Moses then... Continue Reading →
Milk and Honey
I've been thinking about promised lands today. When God appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb, he promised not only to deliver the children of Israel from captivity but also to lead them "unto a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). So before the Israelites even began their journey, they had a destination in mind. Lehi's... Continue Reading →
Finding Favor
Luke tells us that as a young man, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man" (Luke 2:52). He was following in the footsteps of his mother. The angel Gabriel had assured her, "Thou hast found favour with God" (Luke 1:28-30). What is God's favor, and how can we find... Continue Reading →