Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 34:30

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 34:30

"And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house."

Jacob's daughter Dinah is defiled, and then the man kept her and wanted his father to get the damsel to be his wife. Father and son go to Jacob to arrange the marriage. Jacob's son deceive them on the conditions, in order to compromise the men, so they could slaughter them. I read this and thought where is the good out of this? Then I realized it's Jacob's words. The actions of his sons have caused them trouble now. Is that not what happens when we don't follow the counsel given us by the prophet and leaders of the church and take matters into our own hands. How many misguided people, or even those that intentional deceive, have ignored the counsel given and brought grief upon the church.

Day 2193

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 33:4, 10

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 33:4, 10

"And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me."

What a touching scene of forgiveness and reconciliation as brothers are once again reunited. I pondered on how Jacob, now Israel, would have another touching reunion later in life with his beloved son, Joseph.

"And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while."

(Genesis 46:29)

I thought of other touching scenes to come, like the return of the lost ten tribes of Israel, and the city of Enoch.

"And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.

Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows."

(Doctrine and Covenants 133:33-34)

"And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;"

(Moses 7:63)

Day 2192

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 32:6-7, 9, 11

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 32:6-7, 9, 11

"And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee.

Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

Jacob was returning home and about to meet his brother Esau whom he feared. What I saw was a pattern. He still went as God asked him to. He made preparations to protect himself and his family. He asked God in faith for help. This is all any of us can do when we have to face something we fear. To walk in faith and trust the Lord. Only He can bring the peace that we need.

Day 2191 (6th anniversary of writing my favorite verse)

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 31:13, 16

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 31:13, 16

"I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do."

This reminded me of a two conversation I had yesterday. One was with the missionaries that visited our home. The other conversation I had with a friend last night. We were discussing moves and sales of homes. One thing my friend observed is that people seemed to be moving "home". As we went on that theme we wondered why we were in Utah when both our homes growing up were back East? Then I thought of my children and one son being born here. This is their home, and over the years it has become mine. We are home. I know there are some upset with the amount of people moving into Utah, afraid of the prices of homes going up, and politics probably changing. The way of life they have known is changing. All I can think of is let them come. They need to come. They are either gathering or fleeing. They must do either as the spirit directions them. One thing is for sure the fleeing and gathering are opening doors for many to hear the gospel. The Lord will send us where we need to be. His purposes are not always ours, but he will guide us.

"Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.

And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward."

(3 Nephi 21:28-29)

Day 2190

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 30:23

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 30:23

"And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:"

There seemed to be so much competition between Rachel and Leah that they even gave their handmaidens to Jacob to build up children to them. As I sat reflecting on this I realized there was a good reason, even beyond the natural desire to have children. From these women would come the twelve tribes of Israel. They had a righteous desire because it was the will of God that all these sons would come from these women.

Day 2189

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 29:31-32

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 29:31-32

"And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me."

I have always felt bad for Leah, she never asked to be married to a man that loved her sister instead. The whole situation with Jacob, Rachel and Leah is so sad to me. Then I pondered on the Lord's mercy towards his children, for Leah must have loved Him.

Day 2188

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 28:12, 16-17

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 28:12, 16-17

"And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

I wanted to understand what Jacob's ladder represented. I found a really nice quote by President Marion G. Romney.

“Jacob realized that the covenants he made with the Lord … were the rungs on the ladder that he himself would have to climb in order to obtain the promised blessings—blessings that would entitle him to enter heaven and associate with the Lord”

(Marion G. Romney, "Temples— The Gates to heaven," Ensign, Mar. 1971, 16)

Reading further in the Old Testament Seminary Student Manual I see that the reference "he was afraid" and "how dreadful is this place" refer to Jacob's feeling of reverence and awe. It indicates that Jacob understood the seriousness of entering the presence of God. He calls the place the "house of God" and "gate of heaven". The gate of heaven refers to the gateway of God's presence, through which we can receive the promise of eternal life. The place for this is in the House of God, or the latter-day temples. It is through making and keeping sacred covenants that we can gain eternal life. OK, this is making me a little homesick.

Day 2187

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:22-24

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 27:22-24

"And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.

And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am."

Under the guidance of Rebekah, Jacob received the blessing from Isaac that was intended for Esau. Isaac was a prophet and he was deceived. You can see he thinks something is off, but after checking as much as he can, he goes ahead and gives Jacob the first blessing. This makes me think of this counsel the Lord gave Joseph Smith.

"But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter."

(Doctrine and Covenants 10:37)

It would not shake my faith to find a prophet was deceived. In such matters I know the Lord will make things right or direct the course after such an event. Just like he prepared ahead of time a second set of records in the Book of Mormon to replace the lost 116 pages. In this case Rebekah had inquired from God before the birth of her children and was given which one should receive the first blessing.

Day 2186

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 26:27-30

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 26:27-30

"And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore come ye to me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?

And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;

That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.

And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink."

Reading this I could not help but reflect on the early persecution of the church, and how attitudes have changed regarding the latter-day saints since then. Isaac was made to leave multiple locations after digging life sustaining wells in the area. Others came to see a pattern. He would dig a well, find water, and then others would claim it and "strove" with him. He would leave and go dig another well. The pattern continued all the while Isaac would be blessed more and more. I thought of the saints being forced to leave one beautiful location after another until finally they came out west and settled Utah. Today it is a beautiful location, as are many areas the saints have settled. As a people and a church we have been blessed in being able to send life sustaining food to many areas of the world. "By their fruits ye shall know them."

Day 2185

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 25:22

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 25:22

"And the children struggles together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord."

This made me ponder on stewardship and the role of a mother. We are entitled to answers regarding our children if we ask in faith in prayer. I have experienced this miracle many times in my life. Children do not come with instructions manuals, they come with a prayer line to God.

Day 2184

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 24:56-58

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 24:56-58

"And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.

And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go."

These verses made me pondered on not hindering the Lord's work. To go and do what has been asked. I thought about how Rebekah was prepared before Abraham servant came to find a wife for Isaac. That is why she did not hesitate, or have the need to wait 10 days to be with her family before leaving. Her lamp was already filled.

Day 2183

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 23:4, 16-17

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 23:4, 16-17

"I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mare, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure."

Sarah died and even though God had promised Abraham the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession, he did not possess it. He was still a stranger there in his lifetime. He had to buy the land to bury his dead, and later he himself was buried.

"And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

(Genesis 17:8)

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

(Hebrew 11:13)

I pondered on how promised blessings are not only for this life, but for the next. If Abraham could wait for blessings to be fulfilled than so can I.

Day 2182

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 22:1-2

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 22:1-2

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."

So much of this story of Abraham and Isaac is a foreshadowing of the Father sacrificing his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, for us. Abraham had to learn more about Abraham, and Isaac more about Isaac, in order to understand more completely the sacrifice and atonement of Jesus Christ.

The word tempt has a footnote to test or prove.

"My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom."

(Doctrine and Covenants 136:31)

Abraham had long been tried and tested of the Lord God. Abraham had walked with and spoken to the Lord. He knew His voice, he knew the Master. There was no doubt when the Lord was speaking to him. The really key part to this test was Abraham was prepared for it in advance. This "test" could have gone horribly wrong if Abraham was listening to the wrong source.

Day 2181

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 21:16, 19

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 21:16, 19

"And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink."

I believe these miracles do happen. I reflected on how some of my children's first answers to prayers involved things that were lost. After the prayer the item was right in plain sight.

Day 2180

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 20:3, 6

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 20:3, 6

"But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her."

This made me think of the times I was stopped from doing something when it wasn't quite right. I can see how God can withhold us from sinning because the way just doesn't prosper on that course. I think that might happen just to give us time to think again about the direction we maybe headed. If you persist after that point the condemnation is on your head completely.

Day 2179

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 19:10-11

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 19:10-11

"But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.

And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door."

This chapter is really important to read the Joseph Smith Translation, otherwise you will wonder why God even wanted to save Lot and his family.

The part where the angels of God pull Lot into the house and shut the door has great symbolism. We are at the point where we have to keep the world out of our homes. Those that are outside the door, and part of the world are spiritually blind, and want nothing better than for you to join them.

When you walk in darkness and are not looking towards the true messengers of God, you will weary yourself looking for truth in the eyes of the world. You are open to following the words of false prophets. I can just picture these blind men feeling along the walls trying to find the door. You will just miss the mark, and not recognize what is right in front of you, if you are not following the living prophet. In the beginning you may thing you are taking in the wisdom of the world, and so open minded, even if your personal revelation is counter to the prophet's. You will believe that truth is your truth. In reality you are blinded to the true messengers of God and what they are saying.

Day 2178