Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 13:3-5

Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 13:3-5

"Touch me not, for God shall smite you if ye lay your hands upon me, for I have not delivered the message which the Lord sent me to deliver; neither have I told you that which ye requested that I should tell; therefore, God will not suffer that I shall be destroyed at this time.

But I must fulfill the commandments wherewith God has commanded me; and because I have told you the truth ye are angry with me. And again, because I have spoken the word of God ye have judged me that I am mad.

Now it came to pass after Abinadi had spoken these words that the people of king Noah durst not lay their hands on him, for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him; and his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord."

Abinadi does go on and speaks with power and authority from God. He speaks to them about the ten commandments and the law of Moses and its fulfillment with the Savior's atonement. This is the part I normally focus on when I read this chapter.

But tonight the words "ye have judged me that I am mad" made me sit and ponder. I thought about the people over the years I have thought a little mad, that always talked of God and Christ, his mercy, his will, being protected and guided. I would think they didn't quite live in the real world. Now I am one of them and it pierces my heart to know how wrong I judged them before. It's funny how it has no baring on me if people now see me as mad, like I once judged others as being. I know who I am and who I serve.

Then I sat and wondered about the mentally insane that have gone over the edge and think they are God. What is the dividing line when you know a person is mad or not? I really didn't want to take a psychology class to find that answer out. Then I noticed what happened to Abinadi his appearance changed, the power of the spirit was so strong that others could not deny its presence. They did not touch him. So what is the key? What is it always? It's by their fruits, its by their actions. The spirit will bear witness of the master they are serving and honoring. They have lost the fear of what others think and only fear God and seek to do his will. What a great example Abinadi is.

Day 258 Tami Fitzgerald Harris