Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 10:28-30

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 10:28-30
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

These are some of my favorite verses in the scriptures. I have tested them and they are true. What more can I say than this. I reflect on the word light. It's not just a physically weight that is lifted from my shoulders as I walk with the Lord. It's the light of inspiration to overcome the burdens upon me.

Day 4063

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 11:28-30

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 11:28-30

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

The more I come to know Christ the more I know these words are true.

"The Savior’s healing and redeeming power applies to accidental mistakes, poor decisions, challenges, and trials of every kind—as well as to our sins. As I turned to Him, my feelings of guilt and remorse were gradually replaced with peace and rest."

(Elder Peter F. Meurs, "He Could Heal Me!", April 2023 General Conference)

Day 3099

Today's Favorite Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:5, 7

Today's Favorite Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:5, 7

"A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;"

These are my seasons. There is comfort knowing it is all in the Lord's hands and timing. Before reading my scriptures I happened upon this quote from President Kimball on prayers being answered.

"President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) similarly taught that we must put great effort into our prayers and that we must pray frequently:

Do you get answers to your prayers? If not, perhaps you did not pay the price. Do you offer a few trite words and worn-out phrases, or do you talk intimately to the Lord? Do you pray occasionally when you should be praying regularly, often, constantly? Do you offer pennies to pay heavy debts when you should give dollars to erase that obligation?

When you pray, do you just speak, or do you also listen? Your Savior said, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20.)“… Should we ever fail to get an answer to our prayers, we must look into our lives for a reason”

(Book of Mormon Student Manual, Chapter 50, "Ether 1-5"); (“Prayer,” New Era, Mar. 1978, 17)

After reading this I actually sat wondering what have I been praying about recently? Was there something I was putting great effort into? Were those prayers being answered? Then I realized, yes there was. It was this whole season I am experiencing. Then immediately I realized, those prayers were being answered. I have been leaving it in the Lord's hands and just the fact I had to sit and think about what was my concern showed that those prayers were being answered. I had peace over the matter each time I left it in his hands and let him carry them.

Day 2821

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 6:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 6:6

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:"

This make me think of the Savior's atoning sacrifice. It wasn't just for my sins, it was for my sorrows, grief's, disappointments, and the burdens and abuse received by the hands of others. The Lord's arm is always stretched out to receive me, love and carry me through these times. In all of this I must rise above what is done to me and what I past through, and that only can be done through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Day 2215

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 John 5:3

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 John 5:3
"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

Grievous = burdensome, oppressive
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:30)

I pondered on how I have come to understand this verse. For it is hard to keep the commandments if you do not have the love of God greater than the love for self. But, when you come to know God, and love him, the desire to sin has no place in your heart. It is not a burden or oppressive to keep the commandments when the Lord is there to carry me. There is an understanding that the commandments are there as a protection to me. It is the power of the Lord's atonement that lights the way.

Day 1737

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Peter 5:7

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Peter 5:7
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

I pondered on my journey of learning to trust the Lord with my cares so he can carry them for me. His grace is sufficient and he meets me where I am at. I love the word "care" in this verse for I have always found he answers all my emotional cares immediately if I but ask him to carry them. Then my mind is free for the spirit to guide me on the solutions to the problems that weighed me down. I love this relationship with the Lord, for as I witness Him carrying my burdens I truly know that he cares for me.

Day 1729

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 11:30

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 11:30
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I sat and pondered on my life. Is it easy to live the gospel? At different periods of my life I would have given different answers. So what makes living the gospel easy? I realized then it's only hard when I tried to straddle the fence and serve two masters. There is no peace when you do that. To take on the yoke with Christ you need to give your whole heart to it. Then you see the full blessings. The answer is in verse 28.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Come unto Christ is the only way.

Day 1515

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 89:9

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 89:9
"Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them."

This is a messianic psalm. "A song setting forth the mercy, greatness, justice, and righteousness of the Holy One of Israel - The Lord will establish David's seed and throne forever - God's Firstborn will be made higher than the kings of the earth."

As I read this verse I thought about the story of Jesus. Where he entered a ship with is disciples. As he slept a great tempest arose in the sea. They awoke him "Saying, Lord, save us: we perish"

"And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."
(Matthew 8:26)

The story in Mark is slightly different with his disciples saying:

"Master, carest thou not that we perish?"
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
(Mark  4:37-40)



I pondered on all the raging seas I have faced in my life. Where life has just tossed me to and fro, I knew not when it would stop. It is only when I have turn to the Lord in faith, asking him to save me, that I have learned of his peace. He does care for me and the fears that I have, and will carry them for me if I but ask. He stills my soul and brings peace while the tempest are raging. Through this I have come to know and to love Him. He does rescue me.


Day 1142

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 56:3

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 56:3
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."

This has been such a light to me. When I am afraid, no matter the situation, I have learned it is not the Lord speaking to me. Conscientiously, I stop to recognize that. I then turn in prayer to the Lord asking him to carry my burdens and fears. Take them from me so I can hear the promptings of the spirit and know His will. Then peace comes as I learn to trust Him no matter what. He knows the direction I am headed and will guide me through it. I am amazed how quickly he brings peace and resolves the trials before me as I trust Him. I will never be without trials, but I appreciate passing through them more quickly.

Day 1109

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 55:5, 17, 22

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 55:5, 17, 22
"Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

David enemies hate him and seek his life. He moves from fear and wanting to flee, to seeking comfort in prayer. Casting his burden upon the Lord sustains him. I pondered on how this truly is an example of how to get through the trials of these last days. Prayer is such a simple thing, but so vital to the soul. God cannot sustain me if I do not seek Him.

Day 1108

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 50:15

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 50:15
"And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."

I pondered on how many times I have seen trouble and God has delivered me. The most important thing afterwards is to acknowledge God's hand in all things. That the matter was not resolved on my own merits. Through all things glorify God's hands in it, and he will continue to rescue me. It seems the rescue comes faster and faster now as I seek Him first and acknowledge my dependency on Him. Then praise Him for his loving mercy shown to me.

I really liked this quote from Elder Robert D. Hales in the March 2018 Ensign article, "He will Make Our Burden Light".

"He has the power to make our burdens light if we will turn to him"

Day 1103

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 21:8-9

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 21:8-9
"And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived."

The children of Israel are journeying and they become "much discouraged because of the way". Then they speak against God and Moses, saying there is no bread or water, and their souls loath the light bread, which is probably still manna.

The Lord is displeased and sent fiery [poisonous] serpents that bite the people, and many died. This is where the Lord instructs Moses to make a fiery brass serpent and lift it up on a pole. Anyone that was bitten by the serpents could look to the serpent of brass and live.

In the Book of Mormon I read more of this story.
"And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished." (1 Nephi 17:41)

So I pondered on what is story this telling me.  When I am much discouraged over any task that is over me, the very best thing to do is look to the serpent, that represents Christ and live. I reflected on the marvelous mystery of God I have learned. That if I simply ask Christ to carry my burdens, he will. I remembered the day I was so worn down with troubles that I simply took a walk around my block. The thought came to me "cast your burdens upon the Lord, and he will carry them."

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

I had never cast my burdens on the Lord. I didn't know how one did that. I decided I could ask him to take all the pain, sorrow, and grief that was weighing me down. If that was lifted then I could do the hard things required of me. I wasn't asking him to remove what was hard, just to make me strong enough to do what was required. If the emotional parts were gone then I could face what was ahead of me. So with that I said a prayer in my heart as I walked. I remember being at the corner of the street when I asked. I then turned to walked in the other direction. I did not even get pass the house on that corner when all the emotional burdens on me were lifted. It worked! I will never forget the joy that filled my heart to know that concept was true. Christ will carry my burdens if I simply ask. It was so simple, yet I can understand how something so simple takes incredible faith to do.

My Savior and I have entered into a partnership since then. I have found that when I have Him take the emotional parts that make things hard to bare, it allows me to have the spirit with me. I am then open up to ideas and impressions on how to solve my problems.

"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established." (Proverbs 16:3)

As I see the plague of depression hitting so many around me, I often wonder if it's God's tool to have his people turn to him and live.


Day 713

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 6:7

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 6:7

"And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians."

I sat and pondered on how once I knew the Lord would carry my burdens, and physically felt that happen. There was no doubt that only the Lord had done it. To feel that power has changed my life. I have no doubt of the reality of God.

Day 631