Good Morning or Good Afternoon or Good Evening,
this post should take approximately five minutes to read from start to finish.
This post focuses on BYU Devotional in September 1997, and it is called "Trusting God When Things Go Wrong" by Brother Todd A. Britsch. This post is part three. I hope that you would be able to learn something new as you read throughout this post.
Brother Britsch has mentioned the following; "The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; ..." [D&C 121:45–46] It is a trust and confidence gained through the ever-present companionship of the Spirit. This spiritual blessing is with us today. ... The message
was relayed to the daughter, who called her father later that week to tell him not to worry.
was relayed to the daughter, who called her father later that week to tell him not to worry.
She had received a priesthood blessing and was visiting with her Church leaders. Some time later she told her father that she had been contemplating terminating her activity in the Church. She had become so disillusioned by disappointments and seemingly unfulfilled promises that her life was filled with confusion and numbness. Her trials were far from over, but by then she had the support of Church leaders, family members, and, most important, the Holy Ghost.
My fourth suggestion is closely related to the previous one:
Become alert to the softening and protecting influence of God, even in the midst of troubles. For the plan of this second estate to work, we must be exposed to all kinds of risks. But God often tempers these trials to make sure that they do not push us beyond our capacities. ... All around us there are signs that we, too, are in God’s arms, often when we are not completely aware of the fact. Let me give you an example from my own life.
The October conference of 1993 was particularly moving to my wife and me. For once, we were able to sit down in our family room and listen without interruption. Both of us were especially struck by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk. ... Elder Holland was clearly not aware that his talk would have special meaning for us teaching us to trust but it did.
And my experiences in priesthood meeting were a critical preparation for us even though we did not know that at the time I had them. Event after event gave evidence that we were encircled by protections and comforts. And these comforts were not a revising of the record to make ourselves feel better.
Some were so specific that even the cynic would need to concede that God was there for us. What we experienced was not exceptional. Loving fathers often need to chasten and correct their children, and they sometimes need to let them learn hard lessons through experience but they are always there for them. ...
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| "Trust Jesus." - Jeffrey R. Holland. |
Fifth, we should learn that on this earth God expects our obedience and best effort, not our perfection.
Often, when things go wrong, we feel that it is because we have failed in some way. There are times this is true and others when it is not. We live in fragile, mortal conditions and are sometimes quite weak.
In chapters 7 and 8 of his epistle to the Romans, Paul discusses the tendency of humans to fall short even of their own expectations and desires.
... The King James translation of Paul’s apparently complicated Greek seems to be saying this that even those who wish to obey God’s law, and who keep that wish in their minds, are still subject to the temptations of the flesh. Because of this, we sometimes fall.
But, Paul continues, Christ has overcome our frailties, sorrows, sins, and mortal weaknesses. We are enabled through him to live in the Spirit (see verse 25). ... Thus Paul can express his faith: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
We should not add to the anxieties of this world a lack of confidence in what God has promised he can do for us through his Son Jesus Christ. He can overcome our sins and failings and cleanse us from our iniquities. Ultimately it is this faith in what God has done for us and revealed to us through his Son that will strengthen our trust in him when things go wrong.
We believe Christ when he said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). ..." If you would like to read the whole Devotional either now or in your own time, here is the link below.
Stay Tuned until next time.
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