I went to the Women's General Conference session on Saturday. Our women's organization is called the Relief Society. The president, her counselors, and also our prophet spoke to women all over the world via satellite and internet broadcasts.
My mother-in-law is the president of the Relief Society in our area of Florida (our stake). She, with her counselors, provided a nice dinner and activity before the broadcast. I did the dishes and served the food. While I placed food on the tables, a sister, whom I don't even attend church with, approached me among the almost 200 women.
She said she was getting ready to start an experiment of reading her scriptures through a special program. This program of intense scripture study is tailored to bring more inspiration and miracles into our lives.
After explaining the program, she said, "I saw you from across the room and thought you might need some miracles in your life." I didn't look sad or anything. I was smiling quite big, so I don't know why she thought of me. This woman did not know about my "Daily Miracles" blog, and she did not know how badly I am praying for a good job for my husband and a home for our family... "You bet I could use some inspiration," I thought.
I don't have all the details of her reading program; but I DO know that although I have been reading my scriptures, I could devote MUCH more time and thought into that study time. I have been kind of marking it off my list each day without losing myself in the messages contained therein like I should.
I opened my scriptures today, and the next chapter in my reading just "happened" to be my very favorite chapter about faith. It was in Alma 32 of the Book of Mormon. In Alma 32:27, it says"experiment upon my words."
I absolutely KNOW that it was not a coincidence that this woman spoke to me of all the women about finding miracles through the scriptures. I also absolutely KNOW that it was not coincidence that the first day I decided to attempt this experiment, I read the very verse that told me in those exact words to experiment upon the Lord's words.
Also, on an even more personal note, I received a special blessing as a 14 year old girl. It was my patriarchal blessing. In it, for an entire paragraph, I was urged to read the scriptures with a stronger resolve. It spoke of the powers of strength, knowledge, joy, and peace that I would receive if I read the scriptures in the way they were intended. I believe that to be true, and I believe that promise of strength, knowledge, joy, and peace applies to ALL of God's children who choose to read HIS word with more depth.
I don't know if this experiment will give us a job and a home in the time that I want it (because I really want it right now:-)), but I DO KNOW that miracles come and angels speak to our hearts when we devote more quality time to opening our hearts and minds to the Holy Ghost and "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3).
I am beginning this journey today to more fully experiment upon the words of Christ on a deeper level. Before my other entries, I will report my progress on here each day.
I believe in the scriptures. I believe there are angels helping us daily. I believe in prayer. I believe in the Holy Ghost. I believe in my perfect Heavenly Father. I believe in my Savior, Jesus Christ, who has offered us a way to be saved. I believe in miracles. I believe in YOU and that YOU CAN and DO find miracles in your life.
I am reading a great book called Knowing God by Name. Today’s study was on Ezekiel 48:35 “And the name of the city from that time on will be: the Lord is there [Yahweh Shammah]. Shammah means “there”. God sent his son and gave Him the name Immanuel “God with us” (Matthew 1:23) He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrew 13:5). He is the Lord who is there, and he has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11).
ReplyDeleteJean-Pierre De Caussade said, “You would be very ashamed if you knew what experiences you call setbacks, upheavels, pointless disturbances, and tedious annoyances really are. You would realize that your complaints about them are nothing more nor less than blasphemies-though that never occurs to you. Nothing happens to you except by the will of God, and yet we curse it because they do not know it for what it is.”
God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9) He is working, whether we recognize it or not.
The author of this book related all that she had learned about God while waiting for her husband to get a job. She says, “We are ever the students. He is the teacher still. Trials rip away the flimsy fabric of self-sufficiency and become the raw material for God’s miracles in our lives. And those miracles become moments of sudden glory-moments when God makes his presence and activity known in our lives, moments in which we recognize the “Lord is there”, Yahweh Shammah.
Miracles performed by Jesus always pointed people to God so people would see it was God who sent Jesus. The primary reason that Jesus did miracles was not to meet people’s needs. The primary reason was so that people would believe on him as the Messiah, and receive life everlasting from him; in short, that they might be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”).
Jesus did not come to perform miracles. Jesus came to save souls. What we need to do is move beyond miracles and on to JESUS. Believe in miracles but don’t trust in miracles. Trust in JESUS. Jesus knew men and what was in there hearts (John 2:24). He knew they were following him because of his miracles… they were following the signs. Look at the miracles and see how they point to Christ.
I will pray for God’s will for your lives and that you will see God working in providing your husband with a job.
Thank you so much for your prayers, your insights, and your faith. You are right... God's will is taking place in my life right now even though things aren't going in the direction that I wanted. God's ways are not man's ways, right?
DeleteI know that God has a plan in everything that happens in our lives. I have seen HIM show HIS hand so many, many times when I thought there could be nothing good come out of a situation. HE has the power to turn every, single experience to our gain and to move us towards salvation in HIM. Although I KNOW this... at times amidst the trial, my body is weak, and I forget for a moment that all will be well. I have felt a huge lightening of my burdens as I let go of these stresses. Sometimes I have to let them go on a daily basis because those stresses like to creep back into my mind. I am amazed at God's power to lift my spirit and lighten those burdens even though my current situation has not changed. That's just how great God is. :-) I'm grateful HE is so perfectly loving to work such mighty miracles with such an imperfect soul such as mine.