Through the Refiners Fire

Today I read Malachi 3 which is famous for its verses on tithing.  However another part interested me as I was reading it today.  I liked the part about the Lord refining Israel like He refines silver.  I read a story once awhile ago where some women who read the scriptures together wondered just what a silver refiner does.  So one of them found a metal worker and asked about the refining process of silver. 

She was told that silver is a very delicate metal and that when the refiner wants to burn out the impurities he has to watch it the entire time because it is very easy to ruin the metal if it is in the fire for too long.  She then asked the metal worker how he knew the silver was done.  Supposedly the worker smiled and said that he knew because he could see his reflection in the metal.  Knowing these things it is easy to see why the Lord uses this analogy.  I truly believe that when the Lord gives us trials to help us grow, He watches us to make sure if we need His help He is there for us.  And the part about seeing His reflection in us, well that is easy enough to understand. 

When we are going through our trials it can be very easy to lose sight of the goal and to get bogged down in the trial of the moment.  But it is wonderful to know that there is a plan and that God is looking out for us.  We are never alone.  The poem "Footprints in the Sand" is a wonderful poem that gives a good example of this principle.  When we rely on the Lord, He is always there for us!  We came here to grow and we can only do that through our trials and so He cannot protect us from everything, but He can help us and remind us that it is worth it and for a purpose.  Until tomorrow.

We Have Wearied the Lord

Today I read Malachi 2 where the Lord tells Israel that they have wearied Him with their words.  They ask the prophets how they have done this and the Lord gives an interesting answer.  He states that they have wearied Him by calling those that do evil, good.  I have never thought of it before, but it makes perfect sense now that I have read it, that it would offend God that we would lie and speak falsehoods and propagate incorrect doctrine.  I wonder why I have never thought of it before now?  Not only are we causing the Savior to suffer more because of the Atonement and Him taking on all our sins, but also we are offending God by speaking such lies.  It gives me much to think on and has caused me to rethink my entertainment and what I classify as "good".  Until tomorrow.

Israel Perverts the Lord's Sacrifice

Today I read Malachi 1 and the Lord is not pleased with Israel at all.  In this chapter He lists out their perversions and how they are sacrificing impure animals to Him on the altar and giving Him moldy bread in their offerings.  What a slap in the face!  I can't believe anyone would think that is ok.  I can't even think of a good analogy to express how terrible that is.  It reminds me of poor Nephi and all the talks he had to have with his older brothers and how they kept screwing up anyway.  The Israelites are a very real type and shadow of the rest of the world.  People are always repenting and doing better for a little while, then letting certain things slip and then finally stopping any pretense of doing what is right all together, then repenting when they need the Lord's help and it starts all over again.  President Ezra Taft Benson called it the pride cycle.  It is really easy to pick on the Israelites and marvel at their lack of faithfulness, but lets be honest with ourselves, is our society any better?

I recently read a poll that someone did, I'm not sure of how many people, that asked people if they thought Jesus would be pleased with modern day Christianity.  Over 80% of the people polled said
"no" He would not be pleased.  And yet, we do nothing about it.  Some search for the truth.  Some wonder and ask questions that most religions can't answer.  But the vast majority don't seem to care.  They continue on in their hedonistic lifestyle and search for the next thrill.  The next shiny object to capture their attention.  They have no purpose in life beyond getting through the next day.  And what is worse is that most of them sacrifice the most precious thing in their lives, their families, for a mess of pottage.  It makes me sad and I have purposefully chosen a career where I can keep my family first and most important in my life.  Because they are the reason I go to work, to care for them and make sure they have enough for their needs and some wants.  They are the most important thing in my life and always will be.  Until tomorrow.

The Mount of Olives Will Cleave in Two

Today I read Zechariah 14 which contains several more prophecies of the Second Coming of Jesus.  Among all the prophecies there are few that I find more fascinating than these, that the Mount of Olives will split in half and physically move when the Savior puts His feet down upon it.  Just the imagery of such an event is fascinating to me.  Now, it is probably nothing like I imagine it to be in my mind, but still, to see a mountain move, in all the recorded scriptures there are only two men who have ever accomplished such a feat, Enoch and the Brother of Jared.  There may be others, but these are the two that are recorded in the scriptures. 

I also find it interesting about the living waters, or the spring of water that is to break through underneath the new temple to be built in Jerusalem and will heal the dead sea.  I don't know what it is, just everything about the prophecies concerning Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' second coming is fascinating to me.  But I have always been a fan of the magical and out of the ordinary.  Perhaps that explains it.  I certainly believe it will all happen, I just think it will be interesting to see is all.  Until tomorrow.

Israel Will Be Redeemed Eventually

Today I read Zechariah 12 and 13 which both have to do with the Second Coming of the Savior.  It is interesting to me just how many of the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets have to do with the Second Coming of Christ.  I personally think that is because they also have to do with the redemption of Israel, a topic they were extremely concerned about.  And I can't say I really blame them at all, because if you think about it, if we were told that our descendants would fall into apostasy and become degenerates and regress in technology and start behaving like brutes, wouldn't that cause most of us some anguish?  But if we were then told that it was only temporary and that at some point, they would be redeemed and would become a good and delight some people again, I think that would give us all some hope and we would much rather focus on that for sure. 

I know just from reading the Book of Mormon that Nephi was extremely upset that his posterity, people he would never know personally, fell away from the truth.  So upset in fact that it caused him literal anguish.  I'm glad the Lord let His prophets know there was hope and that Israel would be redeemed.  It was a very merciful thing to do.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Not Protect The Unrighteous Forever

Today I read Zechariah 11 and first I have to say that I never realized before today that there were prophecies about Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus and casting the 30 pieces of silver down.  I wonder if Judas knew about the prophecy?  Somehow I doubt it.  That interesting bit aside, the part I found interesting today was when the Lord told Israel that He would no longer deliver them.  It made me wonder if the Jews fell into the same trap as the Nephites did, of thinking that all their great military victories were the result of their own strength and planning. 

Did they, like the Nephites, really believe that they were so strong and learned in the art of war?  Or did they recognize the Lord's hand in preserving them?  Surely they knew, as did the Nephites, that the Lord had won their battles anciently such as the battle of Jericho, but did they lose sight of who they were and think they were so different from their ancestors that they no longer needed God?  Of course I do not have the answers to these questions, but I suspect that the Israelites too forgot their God and did not recognize His hand in their salvation.  Just like our society is losing sight of our own roots and instead leaning on the arm of flesh to save us.  We will find out all too soon how the Lord was preserving us just as He always has those who obey Him.  And it will be a sad day indeed when that happens.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Scatter Judah and Joseph

Today I read Zechariah 10 where the Lord tells Israel that He will scatter Judah and Joseph among the nations of the earth to preserve them.  I'm sure that most of the Israelites of the day and their descendants, did not view being scattered among the nations of the earth as a preserving technique, but it most certainly was.  The other 10 tribes of Israel disappeared from history.  They have not been heard from again.  They are lost.  However, the tribe of Judah was never lost, they have been here since the fall of Jerusalem.  And the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, or the tribe of Joseph, were never lost either but rather were preserved for a special purpose in God.  I am sure that it did not feel like a tender mercy when God scattered them, but the alternative is not very pleasant to think about.  God always does things for a reason, even if we can't understand the reason.  The best thing to do is to trust in Him and believe in Him that it is for our benefit.  If we do that, we will never go astray.  Until tomorrow.

Prophecies of the Savior

Today I read Zechariah 9 where the Lord speaks of His triumph over evil.  It is a shame that the Israelites did not understand the scriptures that they had.  I sometimes wonder if they read them personally or like the people during the middle ages, if they relied upon their priests to teach them the word of God.  Either way, they did not understand the scriptures and the prophecies of the Savior's coming. 

Some of them did.  For example in this chapter we read that the Savior will ride into Jerusalem on a colt.  This was fulfilled on palm Sunday, and most of the Jews in Jerusalem that day recognized Him for what He was, their Savior.  However, they still did not understand His mission at the time.  They assumed that He was going to throw off the rule of the Romans.  They did not understand that the sins of the world and the evil of the world had to be overcome.  They did not understand that their spirits were in far worse jeopardy than their physical tabernacles ever were.  If they had only understood, what would the result have been?  Of course I am speculating on what never could have been.  The Savior had to be betrayed and crucified by His people to fulfill the prophecies.  So even if more people had recognized Him, it would not have turned out any differently, it could not have.  Still, it is fun to speculate and wonder.  Until tomorrow.

The Evil Before the Millennium

Today I read Zechariah 8 which tells of the redemption of Israel and the rebuilding of Jerusalem in the last days.  My favorite verse in this chapter was actually the very last one where it says in the last days that people will grab hold of the Jews and state that they know God is with them.  It reminds me a lot of the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the last days.  The more I read about them, the less I want to be around for them.  However, it will also be a wonderful time because it will be when the Savior ushers in a new era of peace and prosperity.  A time when the devil will be captive and none will give ear to his whisperings.  But for every spiritual experience that occurs there is an equal temptation.  So for us to have the ultimate spiritual experience, we have to have the ultimate lack of spirit either before or after.  There must be opposites in everything.  So we have to pass through the evil to get to the good in this case.  But it will definitely be worth it.  Until tomorrow.

Have Compassion on Your Fellow Man

Today I read Zechariah 7 where the Lord reproves Israel for not caring for one another.  I remember the first time I learned that the sin for which Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed was actually because they forsook the poor and did not care for one another.  I found it really hard to accept at first.  We are all taught that they were destroyed for their sexual sins, which were quite heinous to be sure, but the Lord ultimately destroyed them due to their lack of compassion on the poor and the afflicted.  Here Heavenly Father is reproving the Israelites for the same thing.

When we ignore those of our own society, it says something about our priorities.  When we don't even have compassion on those people we see on a consistent basis, we are absolutely full of iniquity.  If we are so far gone that we are without love for our fellow man, we need to repent.  Zion is having no poor among you because you are of one heart and one mind.  You care for your neighbor as you care for yourself.  That is how the scriptures describe the city of Enoch.  That is how heaven will be.  If we hope to live with God one day, we need to care for others the way He cares for them.  And it starts today.  Repent if you need to, otherwise increase your efforts and do more.  Until tomorrow.

Jesus is the Savior, a Reminder

Today I read Zechariah 5 and 6.  I went on to chapter 6 because honestly I could not make any sense out of chapter 5 at all.  I read it twice and it did not make any more sense to me the second time than it did the first time.  In chapter 6 Zechariah sees a vision of the Savior and is told that the Savior will reign forever.  Now, on the surface this might not seem like something big and noteworthy, however I think we all will agree that it is something everyone in the world needs to be reminded of, because I don't think too many people understand it any more.  They are too caught up in the things of the world and don't understand that Jesus is the Christ.  His word is law and the elements obey Him.  They are a lot more obedient than we are as a whole I might add!  When we stop and purposefully recognize Him as our Savior and our leader, we will be a lot better off.  Until tomorrow.

A Mysterious Vision

Today I read Zechariah 4 which is another vision that Zechariah sees.  I honestly did not gain anything from this chapter.  Although the last verse does intrigue me.  I am not sure what he means by the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the world.  Now, I have heard in the past, and I cannot remember where I have heard this, that the first presidency of the church of Christ on the earth are Jesus, Adam and Noah.  I think that is one of the statements that Joseph Smith made once.  But I honestly wonder if it means what we think it means?  I'm not sure.  Much like the scriptures themselves, I think that statements made by the Lord's anointed ones can have multiple meanings.  However the two anointed ones are that Zechariah saw in his vision, I'm sure they are good and righteous men who have fought the good fight.  Beyond that, I don't really need to know who they are.  It is not important to my salvation.  Until tomorrow.

Satan is Real

Today I read Zechariah 3 where Zechariah sees in vision where the Lord rebukes Satan.  It is a scary thought to think that Satan is a very real person and knows us personally and how to tempt us so we will falter.  I think of Joseph Smith's experience right before he had the first vision where he was physically attacked by Satan and Joseph had no relief at all until the Savior and Heavenly Father appeared.  Satan is very real and he hates us with a passion.  His one desire is to see us fail and to have us lose our glory.  If we give in to his temptations and settle for worldly pleasures, that is exactly what we will be doing too.  We owe it to ourselves not to give up or falter.  If we want to be the best that we can be, we need to stand strong and cast him out as Jesus did before us.  We have a great example in Moses.  He cast out the devil using the power of the Savior and we can do the same when we are confronted with him.  Don't give up your birthright for the filth of the world.  Until tomorrow.

God Protects Those that Serve Him

Today I read Zechariah 2 where the Lord shows Zechariah a vision of Jerusalem and promises to be its protection if Judah will but serve Him.  My dad and I have a debate that we have talked about off and on for years now about where a country that truly serves God needs a standing army.  He says we do not, that we need to put our faith in God and He will fight our battles for us like He did with the city of Enoch.  I say we do need a standing army because God steps in after all we can do.  The Nephites always had an army, the battles the Israelites had always had an army which the Lord upheld in order to keep them safe.  Neither one has been able to convince the other and the worst part is, there is amble evidence to support both sides. 

The one thing that we both agree on though, is that the Lord protects the righteous.  I have talked extensively in the past about Heavenly Father protecting those who keep His commandments.  How I have miraculously survived experiences that would have maimed if not killed me.  Even my non-LDS friends always attributed this to righteous living.  And rightly so.  The scriptures are replete with examples of God protecting the righteous.  So whether God requires us to have an army to protect our countries or not, the one thing we all can agree on, is that the best way to convince God to step in and help in times of need, is to live His commandments!  Until tomorrow.

They Wander the Earth To and Fro

Today I read Zechariah 1 where the Lord shows Zechariah that Jerusalem will be rebuilt.  But the part that got me thinking was a phrase found in verse 10 and 11.  Zechariah was shown a vision of some trees which he was told represent angels that the Lord has put on the earth to wander to and fro.  I had never thought before if there were angels always on the earth, but it does make sense.  It was either Joseph Smith or Brigham Young who said that the Saints had entertained angels unawares.  I wonder if I have ever met any angels in my time here on the earth without knowing it? 

Now that I think on it, there was an instance in college where I was walking down some stairs and seated under the stairs was a man I had never seen before, but as I was walking away he distinctly said, "Hi Fred".  I turned and waved and said hello to be polite, but to this day I have no idea who he was.  I had never seen him before or since.  Was he an angel, probably not.  But it's fun to think on such things and try and add some mystery to strange events.  All will be revealed in time and then I will know if I have entertained angels unawares.  Until tomorrow.

Learn From the Past

Today I read Haggai 2 where the Lord speaks through Haggai and tries to help the priests and people understand that they are unclean before Him.  It is interesting that the priests would be so good at recognizing parts of the Law of Moses and what would make a person unclean, but they do not understand nor see the perversion of the people that is going on all around them as a whole.  It's almost like you can't see the forest through the trees.  They were so focused on the individual aspects of the law of Moses that they forgot to look at the purpose of the law and what it was meant to accomplish. 

The Nephites had the same problem if you will remember Abinadi's speech to King Noah's priests.  They thought that salvation came by the law of Moses and had to be taught by Abinadi that it was only meant to point the way to Christ.  Maybe I'm too harsh on the ancient Israelites though.  I have known about the Gospel my entire life and been brought up in the way of it and I still make mistakes.  Maybe I should be more understanding of their human weaknesses.  Then again, their frailties are recorded for us for a purpose.  I believe that purpose is to not repeat their mistakes.  We can be better than they were.  We have a correct understanding of God's character and as such we know how to please Him.  Let's not squander that knowledge.  Until tomorrow.

Built to Last

Today I read Haggai 1 where the Lord tells the Israelites, through Haggai that the time has come to build the temple anew.  I cannot even imagine building such great structures without modern techniques and how they were able to build such buildings.  It really is amazing how they worked together and by their own labors were able to build such things that have endured for milliennia.  Things like the Colosseum of Rome.  The Great Wall of China.  The Pyramids of Egypt.  These structures have stood for thousands of years.  It is much like the Salt Lake City Temple.  I think that building will stand until the end of time.  It too was built without modern techniques and machines to help.  It was all done by hand and took 40 years!  Perhaps because it was all done by hand, that is why the ancient cities and structures were so well built!  Perhaps our modern techniques are not so amazing after all.  Our buildings crumple after a few decades, our streets are in disrepair within a matter of months.  Perhaps there is much to be learned from the past and how they built their cities.  Until tomorrow.

Pure Language

Today I read Zephaniah 3 where the Lord tells Zephaniah about the millennium.  One thing I don't think I ever knew, or at least I forgot I knew it, is that everyone will speak a "pure" language when the Lord comes again.  I wonder if the the Lord will teach us the original Adamic language?  According to Moroni, that language was mighty in writing to the moving of those who read it.  I'm not sure what that means exactly although I do recall in one of my religion classes at BYU being told that Joseph Smith taught that the Adamic language could convey emotions in a way we can't comprehend.  I don't really know what that means, but I enjoy languages and the study of language.  I speak Mandarin from my time as a missionary and it just fascinates me how different Mandarin is from English.  How it conveys meanings in different ways.  I am sure the Adamic language is just fascinating.  I can't wait to study it and learn it someday.  Even if that day is after my mortal life is over.  Until tomorrow.

Pray for Your Fellow Man

Today I read Zephaniah 2 where Zephaniah talks about all the various cities and civilizations that will be laid waste because of their unbelief and wicked practices.  I sometimes will think on why Heavenly Father allows a civilization to reach full iniquity before removing them.  I know He does not like destroying the righteous although when He does, they receive their reward so it is not as sad.  And I know He spares civilizations because of the prayers of the righteous, so perhaps it is as simple as that.  Perhaps the righteous of each of those civilizations prayed for God to have pity on them.  It is interesting. 

I don't think I have ever prayed for God to have pity on my society.  I don't think  have ever prayed for their well being.  Now, when I was a missionary, I did pray that they would be receptive to the message of the Gospel and that they would have compassion on us missionaries, but I think that is the closest I have ever come.  And as I sit here thinking about it, I feel the urge to repent.  It seems to me, that not praying for my fellow man, shows a startling lack of compassion that needs to be rectified.  I wonder what someone else would get out of this chapter?  Would they feel the same as I do now?  I'm not sure, but I do know that my path is clear.  I have some repenting to do.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Destroy Jerusalem

Today I read Zephaniah 1 where the Lord shows Zephaniah the destruction of Jerusalem and tells him it is a shadow of the Second Coming.  The more I read the Old Testament, the more I realize that the Lord is indeed fulfilling His promise to Amos, that He does nothing without telling the prophets about it first.  And that there are multiple witnesses to what the Lord says.  I have lost track of the number of prophets who foretold the destruction of Jerusalem.  Now, I'm looking at things from a different perspective, hindsight is always 20/20 they say.  Would I be inclined to believe it if someone came and told me that New York would be destroyed?  From a random person, probably not.  From President Monson?  I would.  But I already believe and know that President Monson is a prophet of God.  So the comparison is not really accurate.  If only everyone knew the proper order of things, but if we knew that, we would already be in the millennium and everything else would be better too.  I will just have to be patient I guess.  Until tomorrow.

Habakkuk Prays to the Lord

Today I read Habakkuk 3.  It's always interesting to read someone else's prayers.  It's not an experience we get to read about very often.  Enos recorded his prayer, Alma recorded one of his prayers, the Savior recorded one of His prayers and now we have Habakkuk.  Is it bad that most of my prayers feel unremarkable?  I can remember a few prayers in my life that I have said, but they were so personal that I would hesitate to put them down on paper for generations to read later.  That is something I need to work on then, to increase the meaning of my prayers.  I need to start putting an emphasis on them and make sure I am not just going through the motions with vain repetitions.  It can be a challenge.  When things are going well in your life, it is easy to fall into a pattern and make things routine.  We need to make sure our worship of our God does not become routine and that it remains sacred.  That is the bigger challenge these days with so many distractions.  Until tomorrow.

Do Not Enable Others to Sin

Today I read Habakkuk 2 where the Lord teaches us not to enable others to sin.  At least that is what I took away from this chapter.  The Lord tells Habakkuk that the person who enables his neighbor to get drunk is in peril, I am paraphrasing, but the Lord is not pleased when we allow others to sin.  It is not enough for us to be clean and obeying the commandments, we must not enable others to sin either.  Just like with parents who need to teach their children correct principles and will be held accountable if their children are not taught properly.  If we know our neighbor has a drinking problem, it is entirely unacceptable to give them liquor or alcohol of any kind.  Likewise if we know someone has a chastity problem, we need to make sure we are not putting them in situations where they will be tempted to do that which is wrong.  We are in fact our neighbors keeper.  We need to do our best to help those around us and do that which is right.  Until tomorrow.

The Truth Can Be Hard to Accept Sometimes

Today I read Habakkuk 1 where the Lord reveals to Habakkuk that He will use the Chaldeans to punish Israel.  Habakkuk wonders how the Lord can use the wicked for His purposes.  I suppose it can be hard to wrap your head around the Lord using the wicked to punish the righteous since we know that God cannot tolerate sin with the least degree of allowance.  However, I personally have never had any trouble accepting this idea.  Perhaps it is because growing up I read the Book of  Mormon and knew that the Lord did this on a regular basis.  I'm not really sure, but to me, the Lord using the wicked to punish the righteous makes perfect sense.  I mean, He uses the righteous to punish the wicked, so why not the other way around?  I wonder if Habakkuk had access to the scriptures to see that the Lord has done this before?  I do know it can be very hard to swallow new concepts the first time we hear them.  It can take time and prayer to overcome the natural man who pushes against the knowledge.  But I am sure Habakkuk was able to come to terms with the knowledge.  He was a prophet after all.  Until tomorrow.

The Downfall of Nineveh is Prophesied

Today I read Nahum 2 and 3 which deal with the destruction of Nineveh.  I wondered while I was reading these chapters if Nahum was after Jonah, or before.  I would assume after since it seems this prophecy is not contingent upon them repenting, but rather is a given that it is going to happen.  It is always sad to read about the destruction of a people in the scriptures, even when I know it is justified.  Perhaps if we knew more about the atrocities they committed that would make it more easy to bear for me. 

For example I find no remorse in me for the city of Ammonihah in the Book of Mormon.  They burned the righteous women and children alive and cast out the men who believed Alma and Amulek.  I have no remorse in me for such people who would do this.  And part of me wants to believe it was only the men that were that wicked, but then I think of the ancient Romans and their Colosseum and the gladiators.  Women attended those games and cheered for blood to be spilled just like the men did. 

Sin is very infectious, including the most perverse and evil sins.  First we are offended, then we tolerate, and finally embrace.  We have to flee sin when it comes at us, no matter what, just like Joseph of Egypt did.  He saved his soul by refusing to sin, even if he suffered bodily for his righteous choice.  We need to choose what we want out of eternity and live our lives accordingly.  I know what I want and am living for it today and each day!  Until tomorrow.

Nahum Tells of the Savior's Second Coming

Today I read Nahum 1 which is another book in the Old Testament that I have never read before.  Nahum talks about the Second Coming of Jesus in this chapter.  He talks about how the wicked will not be able to abide His coming and even the hills will burn with the heat of His coming.  When I was younger, I used to think that God would smite the earth with fire as a result of its wickedness.  Now however I understand that the fire is a natural result of the Savior's righteousness on the wicked, including the world.  Right now the world is in a telestial state, which cannot abide Jesus' righteousness.  Therefore it will be cleansed, just like a blacksmith would do with metal he is working with.  It will be purified by fire.  I had a mission companion that used to say tithing was fire insurance, because the scriptures state that if we pay our tithing, we would not be burned at his coming.  I think he was more right than he knew.  If we wish to survive in the Savior's presence, we need to be righteous and live as He does.  There is no other way.  Until tomorrow.

We Must Understand God in Order to Please Him

Today I read Micah 7 where Micah tells the Israelites that there are none of them that do good.  He tells them that the best of them are as a briar, or a thorn.  That may not seem so bad but when you compare a briar to a snake, you realize that it is like saying the prettiest dog of an ugly litter.  It reminds me of what we know of the middle ages.  None were on the earth except John the Beloved and the Three Nephite Disciples, that had the true Gospel.  As such, there were none that knew how to please God the right way because none had a correct understanding of His character.  Joseph Smith taught that in order to please Him, we have to have a correct understanding of who He is.  Otherwise, we will do the wrong things in an attempt to please Him.

Think of it this way.  A cat as a pet, thinks of his owner as a fellow cat.  Albeit a strange, very tall one, but still a fellow cat.  We know this because of the way that the cat treats his human.  When the cat is pleased, he purs, just like he did with his mother when he was satisfied to let her know he was happy and satisfied.  When he wants to bring his human a present, he brings something that would make him happy, a dead mouse, bird or other varmint.  The cat does not have a correct understanding of his human and so cannot properly please him.  Now, we understand the cat's intentions and shower him with love and praise but his gift does not truly please us.  Likewise, we might get praise from God and He might assist us if we are doing the best we can, but without a proper understanding of who He is, we cannot give Him good gifts that He finds truly acceptable and enjoyable.  We need to hold on to that knowledge and make sure we understand Him, otherwise, how can we become like Him?  Until tomorrow.

Israel is Ripened in Iniquity

Today I read Micah 6 where the Lord tells Israel of their sins and how they have failed Him.  The way all of the prophets seem to condemn the entire people of Israel, it actually makes me wonder if there were any righteous people at all.  I know in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities that were destroyed with them, there were not even 10 people found among them all that were righteous.  So knowing the nature of God, I would think that there were certainly righteous people among the Israelites or they would have been destroyed.

It is very similar to General Conference today.  The vast majority of the talks over the years are about repentance and forsaking sin.  But that does not mean that everyone listening needs to repent and falls into that category.  Far from it.  Heavenly Father has taught through His prophets that a society generally chooses what is right.  It is only when a society chooses wickedly that they are ripe for destruction.  So, obviously Israel falls into that category now that I think about it.  They were wiped out multiple times by other civilizations.  I suppose that means that they were ripened in iniquity and ready for destruction.  I would say that is really sad, but then I look at our own society, spiraling out of control all the while proclaiming how progressive we are, skipping merrily on our way to hell.  It can happen to anyone, any society at any time.  Until tomorrow.

The Birthplace of Jesus is Foretold

Today I read Micah 5 where among the normal rebukes for being wicked, the prophet testifies that the Savior will be born in Bethlehem.  It is interesting that with this information being available, more people did not flock to Bethlehem and live there.  I know there are several Latter-day Saint families that when they heard the new temple will be built in Independence, Missouri, they moved there so they can be ready to assist with the building of the new temple. 

Perhaps the knowledge wasn't known.  I know that it is easy to think of how things are today and impose those thoughts onto ancient times.  However, the ancient Israelites did not have the scriptures as we have them today.  I know they had some scriptures that were in the synagogue because the Savior read from Isaiah during worship in his home town.  But perhaps the writings of Micah was not available before the Savior's birth.  Whatever the reason, we know that by the time of the birth of the Savior, this knowledge was lost.  Even the priests of King Herod had to look it up when the Wise Men came to worship Jesus.  How sad that the 2nd most important event in the history of creation was forgotten by everyone who was around to witness it!  Until tomorrow.

Control Yourself

Today I read Micah 4 which seems almost an exact copy of Isaiah 2.  It talks about the last days.  The part I am most interested in states that the people will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, or in other words, there will be peace among the people and no contention among anyone.  I really look forward to such a day.  I am very tired of contention and war and people not having their emotions under control. 

It is sad really how bad things are in this world and how out of control people are.  We have people killing total strangers because they don't know how to process their own emotions.  Some might have a chemical imbalance or a mental disability, but that is for God to decide how in control of their own faculties they are.  For the rest of us, we need to learn to temper our emotions and to do what is right.  It is not ok to let our emotions run wild and unchecked.  We don't allow our children to do it, so why should we allow our adults?  Get it together and be in control.  Until tomorrow.

Do Not Preach for Gain

Today I read Micah 3 where the Lord condemns those that use their spiritual gifts for money.  Specifically those that preach for money.  Now, at first glance, one wonders how the vast majority of the world could miss this.  But when you read the chapter, it is not extremely clear that the Lord is talking about them specifically.  It is very easy to see how one could miss it.  Fortunately, the Book of Mormon clears up any misconception about this concept.  The Book of Mormon frequently condemns those who preach the word of God to get gain.  They call it priestcraft in the Book of Mormon.  Sadly, in this day and age, you can find it everywhere. 

I cannot think of any other religion beyond the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who receive no remuneration for their service to God.  Sadly, the world sees no challenge with this.  They do not seem to understand how a person would avoid preaching certain topics when their payment depends on their congregation being happy.  To me it is self evident, that to preach only that which would keep the people happy would make sense when they pay your bills and can fire you if they don't like what you have to say.  Such a person cannot be trusted to teach the true principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Rather, let us teach as the Lord has said, to preach for the betterment of all men, not for our own gain.  This is what Christ did before us.  Shouldn't we desire to emulate Him?  Until tomorrow.

Search for Truth, Not What We Want to Hear

Today I read Micah 2 and 2 thoughts occurred to me.  The first was "wo unto them that call evil good and good evil" and the second was about a conversation I had with my wife last night.  The more I read the Old Testament and see how people in every generation would ignore the truth and search out people who would tell them whatever they wanted to hear no matter what, the more I realize it is a shadow of today.

The reason there are so many instances in the Old Testament and so many chapters on the destruction of Israel because they would not listen, is because that is what we have going on today.  It happens in every generation.  Think about the people who go through doctor after doctor until they finally find one that will tell them what they want to hear.  They refuse to accept the truth even if it is coming from the mouth of two or three witnesses.  But the moment they hear what they want to hear, they believe it, even if it is just the one person saying it.  They ignore ALL the other people and focus on the one person, because it is the "truth" they want to hear and believe. 

It is really easy to fall into this trap, and we need to make sure that we are searching out truth and knowledge and not what we want to hear.  There will always be someone saying what we want to hear, but we need to put it to the test that God has given us.  Does it contradict the laws of God?  Are there more than one witness saying it?  Do we feel the Spirit when we hear it?  If the answer is yes, no, and no, then we need to be wary.  And of course we can always pray and ask God.  He will tell us if it is from Him or not.  Until tomorrow.

Micah Tells of the Destruction of Jerusalem

Today I read Micah 1 where the Lord prophesies of the downfall of Samaria and Jerusalem due to their wickedness.  It is sad how apparently the Israelites forgot all about the law of witnesses.  How the word will be established from the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses.  Well, the Israelites had about 100 witnesses and still they did not believe.  What is it about pride that blinds us to the truth?  Why is it that when we are full of pride the truth only angers us and causes us to lose ourselves even more in our incorrect ways?  It is only when we humble ourselves, or are compelled to be humble that we can see clearly again and see the truth.  It is sad that it requires such strong intervention at times from the Lord.  Sad that we will not choose to be humble and not puffed up.  Only we can make the choice to be humble though.  If we will make the choice, life will be much better for us though.  Until tomorrow.

Jonah is Taught His True Purpose in Coming

Today I read Jonah 4 where Jonah gets angry with the Lord for sparing the city of Nineveh.  He thought that the Lord was going to destroy the city of Nineveh no matter what was done and so after the people repented, he grew upset that the Lord was not going to destroy the city.  The Lord explained to Jonah that the people were like cattle, meaning they had not been told the right way of doing things and so had to be led.  That was the purpose of Jonah coming, to teach them the right way of doing things.  The Lord loves all of His people and wants everyone to be righteous and happy.  That is why we have prophets, to tell us the will of the Lord.  To help us understand what will make us truly happy.  If we will but listen, we can have true joy in this life.  Until tomorrow.

The Example of a Righteous Leader

Today I read Jonah 3.  I have always liked this chapter because, to my knowledge, it is the only instance in all of the scriptures where an entire people repent.  The Lamanites during the mission of the sons of Mosiah is a close second, but this is the only one I know of where everyone does it.  And that is a really awesome thing.  So often in the scriptures we read about how the people refused to repent and ignored the prophet, or called them a false prophet.  But the people of Nineveh did not do that.  I believe that in large part, it was due to the example of their king. 

Mosiah taught the people in the Book of Mormon that a wicked king leads his people to do much iniquity.  The flip side of that coin though is that a righteous king leads people to do that which is right.  People look to the example of their leaders.  We can see that in the history of the United States of America.  When JFK told the country that they should not ask what the country can do for them, but rather what they can do for their country, people took it to heart.  Now that our leaders are saying we need to take care of the people, people are responding to that too.  Just like children emulate their parents, people emulate their leaders.  If you are in a position of authority, then you need to make sure you are on the ball because your every move will be scrutinized.  Make sure you are setting the right example.  Until tomorrow.

The Obedience of a Fish

Today I read Jonah 2 where Jonah repents and the fish spits him out on dry land.  Now some might look at this chapter as how wonderful it is that Jonah is repenting, well who wouldn't at this point?  I mean he is in the belly of a great fish, most likely a whale, with absolutely no hope of rescue and very long, painful death ahead of him.  Who wouldn't repent at this point?  There is nothing really significant about that.  What strikes me about the story rather is what the fish does.

The last verse of the chapter states that God spoke with the fish and then the fish vomited Jonah out of its stomach.  It doesn't say the Lord caused the fish to get sick or that the Lord compelled it, but rather the Lord spoke to the fish.  The phrasing of this verse suggests to me that the Lord had a conversation with the fish and then the fish made a conscious choice to obey what the Lord was asking it to do.  How intriguing that an animal would be more obedient than a man!  Jonah was given a command and ran away.  A fish was given a command and obeyed without question.  We could certainly learn a lot from the example of our non-human roommates on this planet!  Until tomorrow.

Jonah Runs From His Responsibility

Today I read Jonah 1.  Like most little boys, I was always fascinated by the story of Jonah.  How awesome to a little boy is the story that someone gets swallowed by a fish?  As a teenager in school, I was homeschooled for part of my highschool and my Mother used videos from a school out in Utah for one year.  I remember the teacher telling us that there was a story of a whaling crew where a man fell overboard and they could not find him so he was presumed dead.  A few days later they caught the whale they were hunting and as they were cutting it up, they noticed the stomach was moving around like something was alive in it.  They cut open the stomach and there was the missing crew member!  His hair was bleached white and his skin had several burn marks from the acid in the whale's stomach but he was very much alive.  I can't remember how long he was in there if it was only 3 days or more than 3 days but again, very fascinating.  Of course we can make the obvious reference to the Savior's death and resurrection in that Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days and 3 nights.

However, the most amazing part of this story to me has to be the sailors.  They are very superstitious and cast lots to determine who is as fault.  However, when they discover that Jonah is the problem, Jonah tells them to cast him into the sea and the sea will be calmed.  However, to their everlasting credit, the men refuse to do so.  They don't want to kill poor Jonah.  They keep trying to make it to port so they can be safe, they don't want to kill Jonah, even if he is the reason for their current troubles.  That is amazing!  I don't think I am more impressed with another group of people in the entire bible.  I have always been intrigued with the sailors in this story and would really like to meet them one day and see how many of them converted once they heard the Gospel message.  I'll wager more than a couple.  Until tomorrow.

The Downfall of Edom is Prophesied

Today I read the book of Obadiah.  Obadiah, like so many before him, prophesies the downfall of a people, in this case the people of Edom.  Throughout history, or at least so we read in the scriptures, people have wanted to know the will of the Lord concerning them.  And yet, surprisingly, when they hear it, they reject it.  They call the prophet who is telling them the unhappy news, a false prophet.  Instead of changing their behavior to change their fate as the prophet tells them to do, they look for someone else to tell them that all is well and keep living as they see fit.  As if they know more than the Lord!  The brazenness of people never fails to astound me. 

About the only people who, as a whole, accept what the prophet tells them and changes their ways, are the people of Nineveh as recorded in the book of Jonah.  Everyone else in the scriptures seems to rationalize their sins by thinking that if God is upset with them, then there must be a problem with God.  I have honestly never understood how Satan managed to convince the world of that one.  It shows an utter lack of respect for God.  It is just one more reason that I am glad I found the church early and gained my testimony right away.  I was very lucky and I try very hard to not take my testimony for granted.  If only all people would do the same.  Until tomorrow.

Israel is Scattered Like Leaven

Today I read Amos 9 where Amos is shown and told that Israel will be spread about among all nations.  It makes me wonder and as I was reading I had this though.  I think Israel was spread about in order to act as leaven.  Yeast is only a tiny part of the whole product in bread and bread products.  It is not very much but its effects are huge.  Perhaps Israel was scattered about the various countries of the world to act as yeast.  To be a tiny part of each country, but to have far reaching effects.  It would not surprise me if that were the reason.  Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways we know, and as such we don't always understand what He is trying to tell us.  The rest of the time though, He wants us to work it out in our minds and form our own conclusions.  I think this is one of those times and this is what I have come up with.  I invite each of you to do the same and ponder on this yourselves.  Until tomorrow.

The Apostasy is Prophesied

Today I read Amos 8 where the Lord tells Amos that He will send a famine of the word of God.  Or in other words, there would be an apostasy, which we know came to pass.  I have often wondered why it was necessary for there to be an apostasy.  Why couldn't the church have endured?  I know there is the obvious answer that God said it would happen so it had to happen, but why did God prophesy it?  Was it really so inevitable?  Looking back on everything now I see how it happened so slowly and gradually, line by line, piece by piece.  But with continuing revelation, couldn't the original apostles have held it together and made sure the church was strong?  There is the other aspect that the people of the world weren't ready.  It was a very different place back then.  Were the people of the world ready to go to the law of the Gospel?  I'm not sure.  I know that it is one of those things that I look forward to asking God about what I see Him.  I can't wait for all the knowledge of what really happened through out history.  It will be awesome!  Until tomorrow.

Amos is Called to be a Prophet

Today I read Amos 7 where Amos tells the story of how he was called to be a prophet.  It has always intrigued me that, at least in ancient times, the Lord picks those that the world would not consider worth their notice.  It really gives worth to the scripture that the Lord uses the weak things to confound the strong.  Amos said that he was a herdsman and a gatherer or fruit.  This seems to be a very common theme to use herdsmen and shepherds no doubt as another symbol as Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd and as His followers as His flock.  Even today if you study the lives of those who are our prophets and apostles you will find very ordinary men who were asked to be God's leaders here on the earth.  It gives me hope that if an ordinary man who wasn't even a full tithe payer for part of his life like Howard W. Hunter can become a prophet, then surely I can live the commandments and do all that is asked of me too.  Until tomorrow.

Be Anxiously Engaged

Today I read Amos 6 which tells us woe to those that are complacent.  It actually says something a little different but that is the meaning I took away from the scripture.  When we get complacent, we let things slide, things that should not be left undone.  Things like scripture study, church attendance, temple attendance, family prayer and scripture study, family home evening and all the other things we all know we should be doing.  It is usually, for most people any way, only when we feel a sense of urgency that we do all these things.  Now the sense of urgency can come from a need in our life, desire, or just plain stubbornness to do what we know we should be doing.  But all three of those reasons either create a real, or an artificial sense of urgency.  And either one is better than saying all is well in Zion.  We need to be anxiously engaged, like the scriptures tell us.  That is when we will be most happy and most safe from sin and deviance.  Until tomorrow.

Embrace That Which is Right

Today I read Amos 5 where the Lord admonishes the Israelites to seek out that which is good and right and to avoid doing the wrong things.  It never fails to amaze me how Satan has done such a good job of convincing the world that sin is fun.  Everywhere you look we are inundated with commercials of people doing that which is wrong and it seems like so much fun.  We have become convinced that sin is the right thing to do and that to not allow sin is a crime.  Just take a look at marriage for homosexuals.  We all know that homosexuality is a sin and yet Satan has managed to convince the vast majority of the country that if we don't allow them to live their lives as they see fit, we are bigots.  Satan has made us completely overlook that it is possible to love the person but condemn the act.  He is very good at what he does and he is extremely clever.  He makes his arguments seem so logical and right.  But deep down we all know what is really right.  Unless we have smothered the Light of Christ in each one of us, we know the right path for us to take.  We know that we should be standing up for what is right.  We can't fall into the trap of thinking that tolerance means acceptance.  It doesn't!  We need to embrace the right and cling to it.  Until tomorrow.

Ancient Israel Ignored the Signs from God

Today I read Amos 4 where the Lord points out the things He has done to the land of Israel because of their wickedness.  What is crazy to me is the fact that they don't repent, even after all of this.  If I saw rain all around me except on one particular field like the Lord says He did, I would start to wonder for sure.  It just amazes me how dense people can be.  And not just the ancient Israelites.  As we have stated in the past, people in this day and age overlook miracles that happen all around them.  They are there to be seen, but we are far more willing to write it off as coincidence in this day and age for some reason.  Does that mean that the people of ancient Israel would write it off as coincidence too?  That doesn't really seem like something the people of that time would do though.  From what I understand, the people of that day and age were very superstitious and always claiming something came from God.  But they did not repent, no matter what the Lord did to them.  Very sad indeed.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord's Patten for His People

Today I read Amos 3 where the Lord reveals His plan for communicating with His people.  He tells Amos that He does nothing until He has first told His prophets that it will happen.  Now, one of the things to remember about this prophecy, is that it does not have to be the current prophet He has told.  For example, the Lord tells Amos in a few more verses that there will be an apostasy later.  Amos lived hundreds of  years before the apostasy actually happened though.  So just because He has not told His current prophet to remind the people about it, does not mean the Lord has broken His pattern and done something without telling His prophets.  The Lord is constant and unchanging.  His word must be fulfilled and so if He says He will only do something after telling His prophets about it, you can be assured that is the way it is going to happen.  It is a great comfort knowing the Lord will never deceive us and will always follow His pattern.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Have a Righteous People

Today I read Amos 2 where the Lord reminds the Israelites that while they are His chosen people, that does not give them license to do all sorts of evil and get away with it.  The Lord reminds them that the land was another people's before it was theirs and that the Lord will not always suffer the unrighteous to people His land and continue to sin.  Even though it is not the promised land, the land of Israel was promised to the Israelites and the Lord cleansed it of those who were there before them.  the Lord does not love the Israelites more than He does others, but because they were more righteous, to begin with, He allowed them to live there, to fulfill the promise He made to their fathers.  It is a great reminder for all of us.  We will not always have His Spirit to dwell with us if we do that which is wrong in His sight.  Until tomorrow.

Amos Preached Destruction of the Wicked

Today I read Amos 1 where the Lord talks about the things He will do to the enemies of Israel.  I wonder if the people of Israel need constant reminders and that is why so many of the prophets focus on these things.  I understand that the prophets just tell the people what the Lord tells them to say, but it just makes me wonder why the Lord keeps reminding His people that He will punish the wicked?  You would think that the righteous would get the message and do what is right no matter what.  And the wicked?  Well I guess it would be very interesting to see the numbers surrounding what percentage of people actually repent after being told that they will be punished over and over again.  We know the Lord never does anything without a reason, so we can at least be assured that there is a purpose behind it.  We just need to find it so we can apply it to our own lives.  Until tomorrow.

Joel Prophesies about the Second Coming

Today I read Joel 2 and 3 where Joel talks about the prophecies of the last days.  These last two chapters reminded me a lot of the Book of Mormon, specifically the books of Enos, Jarom and Omni.  How they did not write a lot, but the things they did write were of great importance.  The same could be said of Joel.  He did not write much, but what he did write is of great significance to those who are faithful and watch the signs of the times carefully.  All Latter-day Saints should watch for the coming of Christ, but since we don't know when He will be returning, we need to make sure that we do what is right always and live the commandments as if He were coming today.  That is the only true way to ensure we are worthy to greet Him on His return.  Until tomorrow.

Joel Prophsies Times of Want

Today I read Joel 1 and I'm not quite sure what I read to be honest.  He talked alot about plagues and destruction, but I did not understand through the reading why all of this was coming to pass except that it said the day of the Almighty is at hand.  If this is describing the times as they lead up to the Second Coming, I really don't want to be around for it.  It sounds quite awful.  However, I do not think it is in reference to the Second Coming.  I can't tell you why I feel that way, but it is just the impression I get as I was reading.  I think it is referring to another time.  I hope the rest of the book of Joel is easier to understand.  Until tomorrow.

Ephraim Returns to God

Today I read Hosea 12 and 13 which continues expounding on the many sins of Ephraim and why he is being punished.  In chapter 13 it states that Ephraim will eventually forsake his ways and return to the Lord.  We are seeing that fulfillment now.  The Saints of Zion are turning to the Lord and being righteous.  Even though we are seeing an unprecedented amount of filth and degeneracy in our world, we are also seeing people turn to the Lord and doing what is right in waves.  We are like a lighthouse against the storm.  The winds howl and the sea rages, but we stand strong and true as beacons of light to the world.  Guiding lost souls back to safe harbors.  That is our purpose in the last days.  That is how we can best serve God in these troubling times.  Stand tall and be true.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord is Displeased with Ephraim

Today I read Hosea 12 and I can honestly say I am very glad that the Lord is not talking to me in this chapter.  He is not pleased with Ephraim and is not shy about showing it.  I do not know the history of Hosea but I think he must have lived after Israel split into the two factions with the 10 tribes in the northern kingdom and Judah and Dan I think it was, in the southern kingdom in Jerusalem.  Hosea's prophecies all seem to do with Ephraim and does not really seem to focus on any of the other tribes.  That seems curious to me.  I don't know why that is and wonder why the Lord would have Hosea focus so heavily on that 1 tribe?  Perhaps that is Hosea's tribe?  I'm not really sure.  Whatever the reason, it is clear that the Lord is NOT pleased with Ephraim at this point in time, not at all.  Until tomorrow.

His Arms Are Outstretched Still

Today I read Hosea 11 where the Lord tells the Israelites that He still loves them and that He will not destroy them.  I wonder if the Israelites realized just how significant that was?  I mean to hear for several chapters how bad you have been, and then to be told that despite all that He loves you still and that His arms are still outstretched and He has not forsaken you.  I am reminded of the prodigal son, who did not know his father would welcome him back but chose to return anyway.  It was only once he was back that he realized he could have returned all along and his father would have loved him.  Sometimes we think we can't repent because how can God forgive us after what we have done?  We forget that Christ has suffered for everything we have or will ever do and so there is nothing that can't be repented of.  It is a comforting thought that if we mess up we can return, but it is by no means a license to purposefully sin.  How selfish would that be?  To purposefully cause the Savior pain like that?  I can't even imagine such selfishness.  Until tomorrow.

Why Tempt the Lord?

Today I read Hosea 10 where the Lord reminds Israel that they have made their own bed, or as He put it, plowed their own field.  He reminds them that they did not have a king as a way to set themselves apart from the other nations, however they begged and begged to have a king so He relented.  The story of the Israelites as well as the lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon have certainly taught me not to tempt the Lord.  The Lord knows everything there is to know, He can certainly tell us the best course of action for each one of us.  If we will but listen, we will not be sorry.  It's only when we tempt the Lord and force Him to relent to our impetuous nature that we end up doing things we regret.  Just like teenagers who refuse to listen to the wisdom of their parents who have done this before and know the pitfalls that are out there, Heavenly Father can help us navigate the treacherous world if we will allow Him to help us and not tempt Him with our desires and things we think we want.  Until tomorrow.

God Shakes Up Israel

Today I read Hosea 9 where the Lord tells Israel that everything is not all right.  At first glance this looks a little strange until you think about it.  How often have you been going along thinking everything is good and ok?  It's not until something comes along t shake things up that we realize we were not doing ok or doing what we are supposed to be doing.  It's rare that God would do this shaking up Himself.  I would imagine that most of the time He just allows us to have the consequences of our own actions shake us up.  And most of us have many natural consequences since we are not exactly the most on track as a people.  We are constantly facing temptations, fortunately, it is what we do with those temptations that matter, not that we have them.  Satan tries to make us think that just because we have temptations we are unworthy, but this is a falsehood.  Everyone, even our beloved prophet have temptations.  It's what we do in response to them that is important.  Until tomorrow.

Act on the Light You Have

Today I read Hosea 8 and as I was reading, I wondered if some of the people of the time thought they were doing the right thing.  I mean, where there people that didn't know any better because they had been taught inappropriately by their leaders?  People in the time of Jesus Christ had trouble recognizing Him because the pharisees had so perverted the law and the doctrine that they didn't even recognize their own Savior.  It would be very similar to my wife describing me to my daughter completely incorrectly.  My daughter would then never recognize me.  Now, the Holy Ghost was still testifying of truth to the people when the Savior was there, of this I am pretty certain.  The story of the two disciples speaking with Jesus after His resurrection when they talk about their hearts burning within them as they walked and talked shows this fact.  So not all the blame can be placed on the leaders, the people have enough blame to go around also.  In the end, we are all responsible for ourselves to act on the light and knowledge that we do have.  The people of Hosea's day are no different.  Until tomorrow.

Ephraim Will Be Scattered

Today I read Hosea 7 where the Lord tells the Israelites that Ephraim will be spread out through the people of the world, or strangers, as God puts it in the chapter.  I sometimes wonder why the tribe of Ephraim is the one that is prevalent in the world.  I'm sure it probably has to do with the blessing that Jacob gave to Ephraim, Joseph's son.  But you would think that of all the members in the church who have received their patriarchal blessings that there would at least be some who are of other tribes.  It's just one other of those questions that I will some day know the answer to.  Whatever the reason, I wonder what the Ephraimites thought when they were told this.  Did they believe it?  Did they scoff at what surely seemed to them just one more foolish prophecy from a would be prophet?  What did they think when they realized the truth of such things?  Were they repentant?  Did they sorrow?  I wonder if we will ever know in this life?  Until tomorrow.

Like the Morning Fog, It is Gone By Afternoon

Today I read Hosea 6 and I really like the imagery that God uses in this chapter as He laments the house of Ephraim and Judah.  He states that their righteousness is like the morning fog.  It is gone by afternoon.  I thought that was both very apt and good imagery.  We all know by now that ancient Israel was not good at keeping the commandments.  I can imagine God sitting there wondering what He was to try and do in order to get them to wise up and do a He asked of them.  It must be very like a school teacher trying to figure out how to reach a set of troublesome students that did not want to learn and do everything they can to disrupt the class.  The difference though is that God knows perfectly well what He would need to do in order to get them to repent and do what is right.  But He will never violate agency and will always allow us to make our choices, even if they are very poor choices.  Until tomorrow.

What Helps You Overcome Sin?

Today I read Hosea 5 and somedays reading the scriptures feels like the movie Groundhog day.  I feel like I am reading the same things over and over again.  This chapter is another explanation of why they are being punished.  I can't really fault the Lord, after all, the ancient Israelites seemed to be slow learners.  I mean it's one thing if a child keeps making the same mistake, they don't know any better.  But to have a full grown adult keep turning back to their sins, like a dog returns to his vomit as the scriptures state, is almost incomprehensible.  However, having once been addicted to sin myself once upon a time, I can understand how hard it can be to break out of its clutches once it has you.  In my case it was only the love of a good woman that helped me truly thrust off the shackles of sin.  Everyone needs to find their own motivation and what will help them.  It is different for every person, but it's always there.  You just have to be willing to search it out.

Listen When God Speaks

Today I read Hosea 4 where the Lord tells the Israelites of their sins.  I remember thinking this when I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants that I would not want my sins broadcast to the whole world like that.  But it would be nice to have the Lord tell me who to avoid when I am deciding on my friends.  I wonder if when God talks to His prophets like this and tells them that His people are sinning if some of the people wake up and make changes in their lives?  Probably not, but perhaps for some of them it is the wake up call that they need.  I know I would listen up if I knew God was talking directly to me.  That's why I always study General Conference talks, because I know that they are messages meant for me.  We should all listen up when God speaks.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Gives Israel a Sign

Today I read Hosea 3 where the Lord tells Hosea to pay a harlot to abide with him as a sign.  Some of the Lord's signs and what He asks His prophets to do is really weird.  Perhaps they make sense to the people of the time and they are perfect examples to them.  But to me sitting here in 2014 they just seem strange.  But I am glad that even if the analogy is strange, God never stopped talking to His people and never stopped warning them.  It is wonderful to see and know that He always takes care of us.  He will never leave us alone or destitute.  Until tomorrow.

People Want To Know It's Ok to Sin

Today I read Hosea 2 where the Lord tells Hosea of the abominations of the Israelites and His people.  You would think, that if you were an Israelite, that perhaps there is something to all these various people who are coming around and saying the exact same thing.  I mean it's one thing to have one person come around and say that they are wicked and need to repent or the Lord will destroy you, but to have dozens of men saying the exact same thing?  The idea is out of the mouth of two or three witnesses right?  I just don't understand why people would not listen.  Actually I do understand.  When people are in sin and they are happy with being in sin, they don't want to be told that they are wrong.  All you have to do is look at today's culture especially when it comes to homosexuality.  People only want to be told they can do whatever they want and God is ok with it, which of course is a lie.  But it is what they want to hear.  For some reason, even in sin, we want the approval of others.  People sure can be funny at times.  Until tomorrow.

Hosea is Chosen by the Lord

Today I read Hosea 1 where the Lord commands Hosea to take a wife and tells him what to name his children as signs.  I've often wondered what it must be like to be a prophet and have open dialog with the Lord like that.  I remember as a missionary my prayers were full of faith and I had a great relationship with God, but I don't remember Him ever talking back to me in the same manner.  God would always respond to me and answer me in various ways.  But I never heard the voice of God.  I honestly think it would freak me out if I was alone and heard a random voice talking to me.  I suppose you would get used to it rather quickly, but at first I would probably jump out of my skin.  I wonder if it was that way for the prophets?  I suspect it was but anything becomes regular if repeated enough so I bet they got used to it pretty quickly.  I want to be that way too, and fortunately it's just a matter of doing what's right and living the Gospel.  Until tomorrow.

Daniel's Vision Ends

Today I read Daniel 11 and 12 where Daniel's vision continues.  As I was reading I was struck by some of the language and I know that most visions the prophet is shown the events and they come up with the wording to write it down on their own.  But I couldn't help wonder as I was reading these chapters if Daniel was given the words to say.  For example he states in one verse that news from the north troubles a king.  What would that even look like in a vision?  I assume Daniel can hear as well as see in this vision and most likely given the give of tongues, at least temporarily, to understand what is being said.  I just cannot help but wonder again, what must it be like to be shown something in vision.  I think if I ever was shown something in a vision, I would prefer to have a guide like Nephi did, to help me understand and make sure that I was correctly understanding what I was seeing.  I think it would probably be a little scary too.  So it would be a comfort to have someone to share it with.  But I most likely will never have a vision of my own so I don't have much to worry about.  Until tomorrow.

Daniel Sees the Savior

Today I read Daniel 10 where Daniel sees the Savior in a vision.  What a wonderful treat that is!  I am very envious of Daniel and those who have seen the Savior of the world in this life.  It is possible for everyone to have this highest of honors, if they live appropriately.  Joseph Smith taught that it is possible to receive the second comforter, which is Jesus Christ, and have your calling and election made sure.  To do so however, one must live the kind of life the Savior would live if He were here on the earth today.  It is up to us what kind of life we want to lead.  We don't have to participate in the filth and horror that surrounds us.  We can choose a better way.  It is a choice that is made each and every day by the things we choose to spend our time on.  I can see it happening in my life.  Things that used to be so important to me, as I grow closer to the Spirit, are growing less and less important.  I still enjoy them on occasion, but I find I would rather search the scriptures, or listen to General Conference talks instead.  My very nature is changing, and I am very happy about that!  Until tomorrow.

Daniel is Shown Yet Another Vision

Today I read Daniel 9 where he is shown yet another vision, this one appears to me based on what is being shown him and the dates given him, seems to be about the final destruction of Israel by Rome in 70 A.D.  It makes me wonder why Daniel is being shown all these visions and if the people who live in the time frames that he was shown paid attention to the prophecies that concerned them.  I suspect that some did and some didn't.  After all, how many people pay attention to the prophecies that have to do with right now?  Not nearly enough that's for sure.  I suspect that it was the same back then.  Some listened and took precautions, but most did not.  I wonder if Heavenly Father is saddened by this fact or resigned to it?  Perhaps neither.  He does know everything from the beginning to the end so He already knows who is going to believe and who won't.  I would imagine that the main feeling He has towards His children through is sadness.  Let's make sure we are not contributing to His sadness.  Until tomorrow.

Daniel is Shown Another Vision

Today I read Daniel 8 where Daniel sees another vision, this one about kingdoms of the earth.  As I was reading this, I thought to myself that it would be really neat and cool if someone in these kingdoms that were talked about read this prophecy at some point and it was useful to them.  I would like to know such things.  I think that would be interesting to see the other half of the story, the people that the prophecy is meant for and how they received it.  I wonder if the prophets who received these visions and then recorded them for others were shown in vision the people using the prophecy?  I suspect not.  But then again, the prophet's job is just to record what they are shown.  It's up to others to use it appropriately.  Until tomorrow.

Daniel Sees a Vision

Today I read Daniel 7 where Daniel is given a vision of some beasts that represent kingdoms of the last days.  I honestly don't know why Daniel was given this vision.  It really doesn't give us any insight other than kingdoms will arise and some will destroy, which we already knew.  Maybe that was new knowledge at the time.  I really don't know.  I think it is interesting though that Daniel sees Adam, the Ancient of Days in a vision prevailing over the beasts.  To me it seems clear that the church will prevail over the world and the devil.  Perhaps Daniel just needed that reassurance.  I'm not sure.  It must have some purpose for us to know about though since Daniel was shown the vision for our benefit.  If the Lord wants me to know, He will let me know.  Of that I am certain.  Until tomorrow.

Daniel in the Lion's Den

Today I read Daniel 6 which is the famous story of Daniel being thrown into the lion’s den.  As I was reading this chapter today the thought occurred to me.  Was God honoring Daniel’s faith by keeping him safe from the lions, or Darius’ faith?  I ask that because as Daniel was being taken into the lion’s den, Darius told Daniel that his, Daniel’s, God would protect him.  That is great faith!  Darius spent the night in fasting, and I’m sure prayer, to God in order to secure the safety of Daniel.  Now, I’m sure Daniel was doing some heavy duty praying too, however, I think the Lord chose to spare Daniel not because of his own faith, but rather because of the faith Darius was showing and the good Darius would be able to do in all of his kingdom with that faith.  How many people were brought to the knowledge of the truth because Darius was converted?  We know from the Book of Mormon that the Lord will allow the blood of innocents to be spilt as a testimony against the wicked.  So the only thing that makes this story unique is that more good was done by sparing Daniel, than would have been accomplished if God had allowed him to become a martyr.

I also find it sad, and strange that Darius would punish not just the men who had conspired against Daniel, but he also fed their wives and their children to the lion’s den.  I mean if I were to go out today and rob a bank, get caught and sent to jail, they would not throw my wife and daughter in with me!  So why would Darius do such a thing?  I honestly don’t know why he would do that.  Similarly in the Book of Mormon Amulek states their just law would not condemn a man’s brother in place of the man that committed the crime.  It seems like an overly harsh and cruel thing to do and I’m honestly surprised that Daniel did not put a stop to it.  It seems to me that there is more to the story that we will find out someday I think.  Until tomorrow.

Learn From Other's Mistakes

Today I read Daniel 5 where Nebuchadnezzar's son makes poor choices and the Lord takes his kingdom away.  It is sad really to see so many people not learn from other's mistakes, they seem to always make their own.  I have always tried to watch those around me, especially those closest to me, to see what they do.  If they get good results from what they do, then I try and emulate them, but far too often, I see them do things they should not be doing and so they end up with results that are less than pleasant.  My brothers growing up did not make good choices.  As a result, I avoided a lot of heartache and pitfalls that could have hindered me in my growing up because I had examples of what to avoid.  I had plenty of good examples too, but sadly it seems most of the examples I had from friends and some family, was what to avoid.  I am glad I learned from them though and did not have to discover for myself just how bad some mistakes can be.  Until tomorrow.

Nebuchadnezzar is Compelled to Be Humble

Today I read Daniel 4 where King Nebuchadnezzar is shown a vision of himself being cast down and losing his mind and thinking he is an animal.  He thinks he is an animal for seven years and then finally he regains his sanity and praises God before he dies.  God will have a humble people or they will be compelled to be humble!  It is a shame that so many people try the patience of God and force Him to take steps and compel them to be humble.  I wonder why we as mankind have such a hard time doing the right thing? 

I know it all comes down to the natural man, but you would think that when we are shown so many signs and wonders that we would be more prone to do what is right.  Of course, we only need to look at Laman and Lemuel to know that such thinking is faulty.  For some people, no matter what is done to them, they just will not change themselves and so God has to step in and change them.  I guess we just have to make sure that we are not compelled to be humble.  Because it does not seem fun at all!  Until tomorrow.

Signs and Wonders Do Not Convert

Today I read Daniel 3 where Nebuchadnezzar creates his image of gold and demands that everyone worship it.  As all familiar with the story knows, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego refuse and are thrown into a furnace a fire.  A furnace so hot, that the poor men who put the 3 Israelites inside of it, died.  Heavenly Father chose to reward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego's faith and saved them from the furnace. 

I have often wondered why the Lord saved those three, why did He reward their faith when so many others were martyred?  I believe it has to do with their deliverance becoming a testimony against Nebuchadnezzar.  That man was given many opportunities to repent and become a better man.  He was given sign after sign by God through Daniel and the others, but despite proclaiming that their God was the greatest, he never repented nor did he change his ways at all.  He keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. 

We are not much different really.  We keep getting chance after chance to change our ways and become better men and women, but we generally don't take them.  Or if we do, they are not a permanent change.  We might change our ways for a little while, after the initial awe and wonder of what we experienced, most of us then revert back to our old habits and ways.  This is why God does not try and convert with signs.  A sign does not change hearts and does not make us different men and women.  Rather the change must start with our own desire, then after we have become converted, then we will receive signs if desired.  That is the natural order of things for true conversion.  Until tomorrow.

Daniel Interprets Dreams

Today I read Daniel 2 where the Lord shows Daniel King Nebuchadnezzar's dream and the interpretation.  It is really interesting to me that in the days before Jesus came people put such great stock in dreams.  Perhaps it is this very reason that God used them to communicate with mankind at that time.  These days we really don't put much stock in our dreams and I can see how a dream sent from Heavenly Father might be passed off as nothing more than a dream.  It makes me wonder if dreams sent from God are clear and easily discerned as coming from Him?  We don't hear many stories of Latter-day Prophets or Saints getting communications from God this way.  Perhaps the Saints keep such visions sacred as we all should, or if God just communicates in different ways to us?  We'll know some day, that's for sure.  Until tomorrow.

Daniel Eats Healthy

Today I read Daniel 1 where the king of Persia, Nebuchadnezzar, attacks Israel and carries off captive Daniel and his friends.  They are brought to the palace of the king and Nebuchadnezzar orders then to have a portion of his meat and his wine for 3 years.  Daniel asks to have foods other than meat and to not have wine.  He works out a deal with the chief eunuch of the palace to let them have the food Daniel requested for 10 days and then to see if they were healthier than the other children, which of course they were.

This story is, rightly so, considered to be a story about following the Word of Wisdom.  Daniel desire to eat his meat sparingly and to eat the foods that God has said is good for man.  Heavenly Father has taught us that we should eat meat sparingly and that we should eat grains, vegetables and fruits rather than indulge in fatty foods.  Heavenly Father has promised us in this age that if we eat the right foods we will have stores of wisdom and health.  This is proved with Daniel and his friends.  When we eat healthy, our bodies react appropriately.  Our minds are clear, we think faster and easier.  We can  have more energy, etc.  We should take Daniel's story as a success story and follow in his footsteps.

I remember when the Atkins diet first gained in popularity.  I was 22 years old and living with some friends out in Fresno, California.  The mother, father and daughter all decided to try this diet.  After a few days they quit it stating that they were not feeling very healthy or happy on it.  They also cited Daniel and how this diet is exactly the kind of diet he avoided.  And they were right.  Eating nothing but meat and no vegetables is not a good thing.  We can each of us have a testimony of this on our own if we desire.  All we have to do is try it out on our own and see the difference for ourselves.  Until tomorrow.

The Dead Sea Will Be Healed

Today I read Ezekiel 45 - 48 where the Lord continues to show Ezekiel His plans for the Israelites.  These chapters include lands to be portioned out to the various tribes as well as the ordinances of the temple.  All very important.  The cool part of this section though, is chapter 47 where Ezekiel is shown that the Dead Sea will be healed.  This prophecy has always intrigued me.  Why heal the Dead Sea at all?  It is a wonderful way to prove you are God and to have a prophecy fulfilled for sure, but is there another reason?  There are times that the Lord will do things to prove who He is, His conversation with Moses on Mount Sinai comes to mind, but most of the time, He has a purpose when He performs miracles like this.  It's very cool to think about honestly, but I don't know why it will happen.  I'm sure I will find out some day.  Tomorrow we start the book of Daniel and new ground for me.  I have never read beyond the book of Ezekiel before.  I have read the book of Jonah and Malachi, but that is all.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the Old Testament.  Until tomorrow.

Ezekiel Shown the Measurements of the Temple

Today I read Ezekiel 40 - 44 where the Lord shows Ezekiel the future temple in New Jerusalem and the ordinances to be performed there.  I read all of these chapters together as most of them are measurements of the temple, which will be extremely valuable when it comes time to build it.  The people given the task of building it will know exactly how big to make it and how big to make each room, each arch way, etc.  It contains no doctrine that I can find but is of immeasurable worth to those who will need to build the temple.  It is a very good thing we have it.  Until tomorrow.

The Aftermath of the Battle of Gog and Magog

Today I read Ezekiel 39 where the Lord continues His prophecy against Gog and Magog.  This is the chapter that states after the battle that Israel will spend 7 months burying all the dead people.  I can't even fathom that.  I mean spending 6 days a week, 8 hours a day most likely, dozens if not hundreds of people helping, that is a staggering amount of dead people!  I mean it's not exactly a task you would put on the back burner and be lackadaisical about. 

And then the other half of this prophecy is that the Israelites will burn the weapons of war for 7 years!  Now, before today, even though I have read this chapter before, I had assumed that there was going to be a great big bon fire that everyone would toss the weapons onto and watch them burn and there would be so many weapons that it would take 7 years to burn up all the weapons.  However, after today's reading I now think that the Israelites will use the weapons of war as fuel for their fires instead of trees.  The Lord says that they will burn up the bows and bucklers and will not cut down any trees for seven years.  This makes a lot more sense than my original idea of it taking seven years to burn all the weapons.  It still doesn't make much sense to me though, if this is the battle before the Second Coming, why are they using wooden weapons?  Why would they not be using guns and explosives?  I'm sure it will all make sense in the end.  I personally try to focus more on the doctrine than on prophecies like this.  The doctrine is far more useful to me now and as long as I am clean and living the commandments, I will be just fine when the Lord comes again.  Until tomorrow.

The Battle of Gog and Magog

Today I read Ezekiel 38 where the Lord shows Ezekiel a vision of the battle of Gog and Magog.  Most people are fascinated with this battle because it will usher in the Second Coming of the Lord.  I read somewhere that Gog and Magog are where Iraq and Iran now are, although I have no idea how anyone would know that.  Perhaps Joseph Smith saw it in a vision or a revelation, I really don't know.  What I do know though is that no one will be able to miss this battle and so all the naysayers and people talking about the rapture coming don't understand the Bible and its prophecies.  But the Bible tells us of this too, it tells us not to believe people who say Christ is in the desert of "lo here" or "lo there".  No one knows the hour of the Second Coming except God.  Anyone who isn't the prophet of the Lord and tells you otherwise is mistaken.  Until tomorrow.

Ezekiel Shown the Book of Mormon Would Come Forth

Today I read Ezekiel 37 where the Lord takes Ezekiel and gives him a vision.  It's a rather strange vision of a field of bones that the Lord tells him to prophesy will get skin and flesh.  The 2nd half of the chapter is very familiar to most Latter-day Saints who went to seminary.  It is a scripture mastery where the Lord tells Ezekiel that He will have two books of scripture and they will be used as one.  I'm not sure what the rest of the world thinks of this scripture, but Latter-day Saints believe that this is a prophecy about the Book of Mormon and the Bible being used together. 

It's not secret that I love the Book of Mormon.  From a doctrinal perspective, there is no comparison to the Book of Mormon.  It is clear, no way to misunderstand it, and it is so easy to feel the Spirit while reading it.  If I could convince every Christian to read it I would in a heartbeat.  It would make the world such a better place.  Even if those who read it did not become a Latter-day Saint, there is no way you can read this book with real intent and not be changed by it. 

Of course there are other ways to grow closer to Heavenly Father and understand His doctrine, but none are more effective than reading the Book of Mormon.  I've had more spiritual experiences reading the Book of Mormon, than with anything else I have ever done in my life.  I can't say enough good things about it.  I'm glad that Ezekiel got to know it was coming and I'm sure he was filled with joy and happiness to know that it would come forth one day and spread the good news of the Gospel to all the earth!  I sure would have been!  Until tomorrow.

The Israelites are Very Concerned with Where They Live

Today I read Ezekiel 36 where the Lord talks about Israel being restored to their lands.  This is a very popular topic in the Old Testament I have found.  The Israelite culture seems very concerned with land and inheritances.  Different cultures have different values I suppose.  To me it does not matter where I live so long as I have my family with me, but to other people, it is important where they live.  They don't feel they are home unless they are on the land of their ancestors.  And it's not just the Israelites who feel this way, other cultures around the world are very concerned with their ancestral lands too.  It would be interesting to see if perhaps those other cultures that are so concerned with land and inheritance have some of the ten tribes in them.  I suppose it's another one of those things I'll find out one day.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Gives Extra Chances

Today I read Ezekiel 35 where the Lord explains to other nations how He will destroy them because of how they have treated Israel, His chosen people.  I definitely understand this mentality.  It's much the same as when I am talking to my 3 year old calmly explaining why she is being punished, how she made her own choices and had the opportunity to change what she was doing.  She does not always make wise choices, nor does she change the behavior when told to.  Adults are no different and will often continue to make wrong choices even when told exactly what to change.  Just like I love my daughter and will give her chance after chance, the Lord will give the His people more chances than justice requires because He loves them.  It's nice to know for when we make mistakes, but some days I wish He was a little less merciful with the wicked.  I guess I should be grateful He loves them enough to let them change.  Until tomorrow.

Our Stewardship Matters

Today I read Ezekiel 34 where the Lord talks about those that did not take care of the people in their stewardship.  I often wonder what the Lord will say to me when I stand before Him.  I often wonder if I do enough.  I try to magnify my calling and do what I am asked to do.  I try and be a good home teacher, a good husband, a good father, but I wonder if I am doing enough.  I know I don't make it to the temple often enough.  It is hard to juggle everything that I know to be important. 

The one thing I know I am doing well though is keeping work in perspective so that I can spend enough time at home with my family.  I never wanted to be one of those men who worked all the time and never saw their families.  I knew from a very young age that the reason for working was to provide for my family.  But money is only one aspect of a families needs.  Money will not take care of their spiritual or emotional needs. 

More than anything children crave family time and attention.  When I am awake my daughter rarely leaves me alone and when I am at work, she calls me every night to say hi and that she loves me.  I know that more than toys, new movies, books or whatever else I could buy her, she wants to spend time with me.  Similarly, my wife would prefer I help her around the house to show my love as opposed to buying her new things. 

If you feel you are working too much and don't get to see your family as often as you would like, then you are right, you are working too much.  I understand that we have to earn a living and it has to be enjoyable to us, but do our children really need a smartphone a piece, a new tablet and a TV in every room?  Or do they need a pleasant home, nutritious meals and good quality time with their parents and siblings?  Read any article that talks about what people on their deathbed regret and everyone of them will say they wish they had spent more time their loved ones.  I have personally never read one that said they wished they had earned more money.  When this life is over, will you have memories of the office that you smile over, or the time you spent chasing your 3 year old through the house playing tag?  I know what I want to be thinking of when it's my time.  Each of us needs to make a similar choice and I would advise us all not to delay that choice.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Always Reward the Righteous

Today I read Ezekiel 33 where the Lord talks to Ezekiel and the people of Israel.  It's kind of nice because the Lord is telling the people of Israel why they can't have their homeland back right now.  The answer is obvious, they defiled it.  The Lord gave them certain commandments to follow and obey and they either could not, or would not do it.  The Lord will not always suffer the wicked to prevail, even if it seems like it.  He will always step in and right the ship so to speak.  It may not seem like it sometimes in our world but I promise that the Lord is very concerned with Justice and doing what is right and making sure that the righteous are given their due.  It may not be in this life, but the Lord will always reward those who do what is right, always!  Until tomorrow.

Feeling the Spirit of God

Today I read Ezekiel 32 where Ezekiel speaks about the destruction of the Egyptians.  Like we have discussed before, a prophet of the Lord feels the love of the Lord for everyone alike.  God loves everyone, even when people are doing what is wrong.  Just as a parent loves his or her child no matter what, God loves all of His children.  He does not approve of what they do sometimes when they make incorrect choices, but He still loves them.  But He will not always tolerate them to continue to make wrong choices.  When people are ripe in iniquity He will wipe them off the earth out of respect for the Earth.  The Lord is the ultimate source of Good and all Good stems from Him.  When we do what is right, we feel His Spirit.  That is the real joy of living the Gospel, becoming closer to Him who made us.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Overthrow Egypt

Today I read Ezekiel 31 where the Lord talks about the Pharaoh of Egypt and his fall.  As I have said and thought before, the Israelites must really have disliked the Egyptians for the Lord to spend so much time on the fall of Egypt to His prophet.  I suppose that would be like in our day the Lord telling us of the fall of Afghanistan or Iran and Iraq.  Personally though if I were a prophet receiving the revelation of God, I would not want so long and so much effort spent on the downfall of people.  No matter how many atrocities they have committed, they are still people and knowing that the Lord will make them face justice is enough for me.  I don't need to dwell on it or know the gory details.  Perhaps I am different and am not the norm, but I tend to forgive and not dwell on such things.  Until tomorrow.

God Prophesies He Will Destroy Egypt

Today I read Ezekiel 30 where the Lord tells Ezekiel that He will use Babylon to destroy Egypt.  I suppose this might be welcome news if the Israelites did not like the Egyptians, but as I recall they were kind of ambivalent towards them.  I'm honestly not sure why the Lord made a point of telling the prophets that He was going to do this, unless it was just to prove that He was God, which is always important.  In order to have faith in God, we have to know that He is God and that we can trust Him.  We have to know that He will follow through on what He says He will do.  We have to have a correct understanding of His character.  Perhaps that is what this prophecy is all about.  I'll just have to ask God one day to find out for sure.  Until tomorrow.