Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 13:11

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 13:11

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

I cannot help but at first think of the second coming of the Savior, and the need to awake and prepare for it. Next, I recalled an interesting thought that keeps running through my mind. It was a moment in the October 2022 closing session of General Conference. Instead of a talk it was a prayer I heard, given by Brother Brad Wilcox. He prayed that the Lord would come quickly. I've been pondering on that, because I haven't felt a need to pray for that night and day, yet I have a feeling that time is coming soon. Yet, I wasn't sure I had the need and purpose of such a prayer correct. Reading this verse made me go find the recording of that prayer and listen to it again.

"Dear Father in Heaven. It is good for us to be here. Thank Thee for this opportunity we've had to worship during this conference. We're grateful for the women and men who lead out in this great work. We're grateful for our prophets and their wives, and their families and we're grateful for the sacrifices that they make in our behalf. We are mindful of missionaries all over the world. Please bless our service missionaries, our teaching missionaries, our senior missionaries, our mission leaders, and all those who are moving this work forward. We're grateful for them. We pray for our youth and young adults, how we love them. Please bless them to be strong to resist temptation, to do as our prophet has asked them to do today, to overcome the world, and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Thy Son, may He come quickly we pray...

(Bradley R. Wilcox, Sunday Afternoon Session Opening Prayer, October 2022 General Conference.)

What I came to feel while listening to that prayer again wasn't so much a come save us, it was come because we love thee. As the world goes darker the desire to not be separated from the Lord grows stronger. I need thee every hour. Now, that is what I can pray for.

Day 3218

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 12:19-20

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 12:19-20

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."

I wondered what "give place unto wrath" and "heap coals of fire on his head" meant. God will avenge or teach a lesson to those that are our enemies. I imagine you just have to give God space to do what he feels is best, and place it in His hands. Allow God to do what He will and stay out of the way.

Yet, we are called to care for our enemies. Wanting to heaping coals of fire on his head doesn't sound very peaceful, rather revengeful. I sat for the longest time pondering on what that meant. How would my head feel to have heaps of hot coals on top of it. Very hot, very uncomfortable. Then I thought of shame and embarrassment. How red I would turn and feel like my whole face was on fire. The shame and embarrassment that comes by someone being kind when you were terrible to them would be a great teaching moment. Then I realized this is a great thing to give them. Let them be ashamed of their actions and be embarrassed. That awakens them to guilt and the opportunity to repent and mend their ways. That can turn an enemy into an understanding friend.

Day 3217

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:34

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:34

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?"

This is something I saw happen this week. It always amazes me how people think they can counsel the church leaders. That somehow they know better. Who do you think guides and direct this church? One good thing out of it I heard a lovely video addressing this situation where they reminded members to be peacemakers and not cause contention. I would have shared the video, but I don't care to even drag the poor person's name up that was being attacked. What I will share is President Nelson's video on his general conference talk "Peacemakers Needed".

Day 3216

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 10:9-10, 13

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 10:9-10, 13

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

I pondered on how that confession and call is not a one time event. Just like prayer isn't just once in our life time. Prayer and repentance of our sins is daily. If it's only once then there is danger of the heart going astray. We are still required to live in obedience to God's laws and commandments.

Day 3215