What is your Goliath?

I think most of us are familiar with the story from the Old Testament concerning the boy, David, who slew the giant, Goliath, thus defeating the Philistine army.  Here was a shepherd boy that went before a man, who was over nine feet tall, covered in armor, who was taunting the Israelite army, and killed him with a single sling shot to the forehead.  Who would have thought such a thing was possible?!  This was yet another example of how, with faith in the Lord, someone was able to defeat an enemy when the odds were against them.

(David and Goliath)

We live in a day when most of us are not going before a large army defending our lands.  We will never physically have to slay a giant.  I feel that in our time our “Goliaths” manifest themselves in other forms.  This isn't just about drinking or abusing chemical substances; “Goliaths” are any of the challenges we are having to face and try to overcome.  A challenge I have had to deal with and face is that of depression.  This isn't the run of the mill situational or seasonal depression; it has been life crippling and debilitating. I have been hospitalized several times because of it.  It has taken me over a decade of seeking medical help and relying on Heavenly Father for help with this to get to the point where I am today.  It is something I will constantly monitor to make sure I can keep this “Goliath” down. 

(lds.org)

I know you might have the same “Goliath” or a different one than me, but I do know that the only way to overcome the giants in our lives is to rely on help from above.  Whether it is the pressure to provide for your family, raise your children, deal with a physical handicap, overcome an addiction, or any other challenge, we are NOT alone.  

I think it is said best by a modern day prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, “Should there be a Goliath in our lives, or a giant called by any other name, we need not “flee” or be “sore afraid” as we go up to battle against him. Rather we can find assurance and receive divine help from Him of whom David wrote in his inspired psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. … Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” I can personally testify of the truthfulness of this, the only way to deal with our “Goliaths” is to face them head on relying on God to see us through. 

Obedience is always required.

Are rules only applicable when given or enforced by certain people?  Are you to only follow the rules set by your parents, school teachers, or employers when they are around?  Or what happens when a new teacher or boss comes, do the old rules not apply? This week in my Old Testament class, I learned about the death of Moses and how Joshua then led the children of Israel into the promise land.  I then studied some of what transpired after they got there.  

An underlying theme in the scriptures is that obedience to the commandments of God and His prophets is always required.  If we are expecting help from above, then we need to be doing what has been asked of us.  It did not matter that Moses was no longer the prophet, obedience to the same rules and commandments were required of the children of Israel under Joshua as when Moses was the prophet.  

In my opinion, one of the coolest examples of what obedience can bring is when the walls of Jericho fell.  Joshua and the army of Israelites are required to march around Jericho a certain number of times for so many days while also carrying the ark of the covenant. They were then to all shout at a specific point. After completing these instructions, the walls of the city fell and the people inside destroyed. All of this occurred because of obedience.  Regardless of how absurd what was required sounded, obedience brought a miracle.

    (Battle of Jericho by Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld) 

Also, obedience was required regardless that is was now Joshua who led the Israelites, not Moses.  I am grateful that God is constant and that what is required of me does not change, obedience to all His commandments and prophets.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jericho

Order In All Things

I love organizing things.  I love buying bins to organize my craft supplies.  I love setting up a filing system, labeling the folders, alphabetizing documents, and creating a system of order to make life easier.  God is no different.  He has set up His church to have order so it runs smoothly and efficiently.  

Through modern prophets, we receive continued revelation and scriptures.  In the Doctrine and Covenants 109:8 we are told, 

"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;"

We know after because of the death of all of the apostles, the church, established by Christ, was taken from the earth.  The organization had collapsed because there was no longer the needed priesthood or authority to run it.  The house of order was no longer able to function.  Any corporation, business, foundation, or church cannot function or run smoothly without order. 

(Jesus Christ)

I know that in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, God has re-established the house of order established during the time of the Old and New Testament.  God is unchanging and constant.  I am thankful to know that even though I live in a world that is always changing, I have someone who I can trust and rely on and is the one constant in my life.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/pictures-of-jesus-smiling-1138511?lang=eng

Progression

I think it is human nature to want to become better at things.  Whether it is our understanding of a subject, like sports or chemistry, but also in our ability to physically develop a talent.  As I am working towards earning a college degree I find I am constantly trying to understand the subject matter which I am studying in that course for the semester.  Also, as my interest grows in an area, such as painting, I am constantly trying to improve my techniques so that what I am painting looks more like what I am picturing in my mind.  Another one of my passions is photography.  Below is one I took while at Niagara Falls a few years ago.

In this week's lesson from my Old Testament class we talked about the Law of Moses.  I don't know if you are familiar with it, but it seemed so restrictive in what you were able to do.  An example is you could only take so many steps on the Sabbath day.  It also seemed like for so many of the laws which you broke the punishment was death.  To me, that seemed a bit extreme.  I also thought the children of Israel received this law as a punishment for worshiping a golden idol while Moses was up in the mountain talking to God the first time around.  What I learned is that the law received, as a result of proving they weren't ready for the higher law Christ instituted during His ministry, was that it was still a step forward towards becoming like Heavenly Father. Also, the punishment of death, which seemed to be given to so many of the laws broken, was trying to teach them that spiritual death (being cut off from the presence of God) is the worst punishment we could receive.  

I know this post seems a bit more religious than some of the others ones I have written, but I think it is important to realize that God doesn't hinder our progression towards becoming more like Him, we do.  When we sin, we are the ones making ourselves unworthy of His presence.  We need to remember that as a mortal man, we do like to progress.  We like having a more perfect golf game.  We love having our garden flourish and producing scrumptious food.  We love our cooking to actually taste good and not make our family want to order takeout.  We just have to keep in mind that the thing at the top of our list to progress towards is becoming perfect like God and Jesus Christ.  While I will not become perfect in this life, I hope that I will continually progress to not only become a better photographer, but most importantly, a disciple of Christ.  

Life Is Not Always Fair

From the time we are toddlers, the concept that life is not always fair is a hard thing for us to grasp.  What do you mean I can't have that toy?!  If Bobby has a trampoline why can't I?!  One of the hardest lessons to learn is that sometimes life isn't fair and it isn't even because of our actions, or because our parents are trying to teach us a lesson, but because of others'.  

There are many examples of this throughout the scriptures.  One of the best examples of this is of Joseph who is sold into slavery by his own brothers.  His story is found in Genesis 37-50.  Due to the jealousy of his brothers, not because he did anything wrong, he is sold to some Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver.  Joseph was able to make the most of the situation as he later becomes the ruler of a powerful man's house in Egypt, Potiphar. Then again, he is punished for doing no wrong; it is all because he would not sleep with Potiphar's wife after she tries to seduce him. He is then put into prison.  We know that he later becomes second in command to the Pharaoh and, with the help from Lord, is able to get the Egyptians and other surrounding countries through a great famine.  

(Joseph being sold.)

Now, even though I have not been sold into slavery by my siblings, I have received negative consequences because of other's actions. I have been punished by my parents for something that was actually done by one of my brothers or sisters, not by me.  I have had to run extra miles during field hockey practice, not because of what I was doing, but because some of my other teammates were goofing off. The point is, life isn't always fair and we don't always receive the consequences from our choices, but from others'. We also don't always get our way and what matters most is, despite all of this, how we react to what life throws our way.  Do we become bitter, resentful, and vindictive or do we, like Joseph, make the best of the situation and rely on God to get us through?  

https://www.lds.org/media-library/images/category/old-testament-all-gospel-art?lang=eng

Our belief in Christ

As Christians the main commonality we share is our belief in Jesus Christ.  We believe He is our Savior and Redeemer. We learn not only from the Bible of the role Christ plays in our redemption, but also in modern day scriptures. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a Mormon.  I know that God continues to speak to us in modern times.  I also know there are more scriptures of God's words to His children throughout the world than just the Bible. In the book of Moses, found in the Pearl of Great Price, we learn because of Him, we can be redeemed. 

Moses 5:9 "And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of    the Father and the Son saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will."

I know that Christ is not only my older brother, but he is my Redeemer, Savior, and King.  He is the way back to our Father in heaven.  I am grateful to have scriptures which testify of Him and His role in the plan God has for us.  As it says in John 14:6

 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

I also know that we have a prophet today who continues to guide and direct his children on the Earth.  God has not forgotten us and still speaks to us.  I will end this post with a quote from our current prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, 

"I am thankful for [Jesus Christ's] loving-kindness and for His open invitation to come unto Him. ...I testify of Jesus Christ as the Mast Healer. ..."Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Creator, the great Jehovah, the promised Immanuel, our atoning Savior and Redeemer, our Advocate with the Father, our great Exemplar.  And one day we will stand before Him as our just and merciful Judge."

Abide With Me

My entries on this blog are things that I have learned about during that particular week in my Book of Mormon class.  In this week's lesson there was a video shown with the hymn, "Abide With Me", playing.  It is one of my favorite hymns.  The main idea of the video was that these days the world is full of turmoil and strife.  Everyday you can turn on the news and see someone that has been or is going through some trial.  It seems as if the world is in distress and yet where are we to turn for help and aid?

I have noticed that when times become hard or overwhelming that people do two things.  Either they become hard and numb to all feeling or they turn to God or what they consider to be a higher power.  I choose to turn to God and seek his comfort and guidance.  The hymn, "Abide With Me" brings me great comfort when things become difficult for me.  

The first verse is:  
Abide with me! fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens. Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!

When you look up "abide" in the Merriam-Webster dictionary one of the definitions is, " to remain or continue".  I replaced "abide" with "remain" in the first verse and so it would go:

Remain with me! fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens. Lord, with me remain!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, remain with me!

It brought to mind the times in my life that I needed someone to be with me. I did not even need them to say anything, just to stay or remain with me so that I was not alone.  I know that there is a God and that He is my Heavenly Father.  As a good parent should, He has remained with me in times that just seemed too hard to get through alone.  

This blog entry is short and sweet, but I just wanted to let whoever reads this to know that there is a God.  He is the one to turn to in both good times and bad. A prayer that I have can not be phrased better than in the last line of the third verse in "Abide With Me":

Thru cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me!

"Abide With Me"
Text: Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847
Music: William H. Monk, 1823-1889

Picture from www.lds.org