When we hear a
prophet’s voice there are many ways to take their counsel. In Numbers 11 the
people complain and this displeases the Lord. This week I reflected on how I
react to counsel given by the Lord through His prophets, in scripture, through
the Holy Ghost or even what the Bishop asks me to do. I don’t like hearing
people complain it is tiresome. I understand people need to share and it is
important to be a good listener but constant complaining brings a negative
feeling and quickly turns to criticizing. We need more Tiggers and less Eeyores
in the world. There have been lots of changes in the church from visiting
teaching to ministering and we can look at it and complain or sustain our
prophet and the Lord and just do it!
The Lord masterfully
teaches us what to do when the load we carry is too heavy. In Numbers 11 the
Lord teaches Moses to bring the elders and the Lord will come down and talk
with them there. It reminds me of Elder Bednar’s talk, “Bear Up Their Burdens
with Ease” May 2014 He says, “Sometimes we mistakenly may believe that
happiness is the absence of a load. But bearing a load is a necessary and
essential part of the plan of happiness. Because our individual load needs to
generate spiritual traction, we should be careful to not haul around in our
lives so many nice but unnecessary things that we are distracted and diverted
from the things that truly matter most.” Christ teaches us He is approachable
and wants to assist us in carrying the load we are to carry.
Finding Principles Leviticus
11 - 27
Scripture: Leviticus 14: 13-20
13 And he shall slay the
lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt
offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the
priest’s, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
19 And the priest shall offer
the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed
from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:
20 And the priest shall offer the
burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make
an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
Learning
more about sacrifices and how they were made impressed upon my mind the role of
the priest as an advocate for the sinner. The one who brought the animals of
sacrifice needed to offer something in order to be forgiven. When I seek forgiveness,
I need to offer my heart and willingness to turn away from sin and turn towards
my Savior, Jesus Christ. I need to be willing to bring a sacrifice. Although I
feel like I knew this, studying how the Savior and I work together as a team,
and because He has fulfilled the Atonement, He has the power to forgive, and
heal.
“When you reach up for the Lord’s power in
your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and
gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows
you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of
your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy
Ghost to know exactly what you should do. When you spiritually stretch beyond
anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you. And
then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The
Spirit of God”. April 2017 Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives,
President Russell M. Nelson
2. Scripture: Leviticus 16
Chapter 16 - The Day of Atonement
Principle: I wanted to learn more about the Day of
Atonement when on one day of the year the high priest would be dressed in white
and offer sacrifices before entering the tabernacle. The Bible Dictionary
offers more insight into this sacred day. The high priest would enter the Holy
of Holies, and those who participated in this day would fast, pray, and
contemplate the mission of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The principle I learn is
I need to reverence the Savior’s Atonement more frequently. I need to take time
to ponder His sacrifice, and how it impacts my life personally. The many
mercies I have received and will continue to receive because of the power of
our Savior, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
3. Scripture: Leviticus 26: 3-4, 6
3 ¶ If ye walk in my
statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
4 Then I
will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield
her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
6 And I
will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none
shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land,
neither shall the sword go through your land.
Principle: The principle of “If”. Blessings are
conditional to our obedience to the commandments of the Lord, and following
Him. He was very detailed to the children of Israel of what they needed to do,
and how they would be blessed specifically. Through my Becoming project, I have
been able to study the words of the prophets and leaders from the last General
Conference and to identify the “if’s” so I can know what is expected of me, and
follow what the Lord would like me to do. Obedience is required to receive the
blessings the Lord has in store for us.
Finding Principles Numbers
1 - 36
1. Scripture: Numbers 4:49
49 According
to the commandment of the Lord they
were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and
according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the Lord commanded Moses.
There are a couple of principles that stand
out to me in this scripture. First, being numbered is something we all want to
be isn’t it? Knowing the Lord is aware of us, and includes us in His fold. I
thought of another scripture testifying to us that we are all loved. 1 John
4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.” Another principle from the
scripture in Numbers is the children of Israel were numbered according to their
service responsibilities, and his burden. We each have responsibilities we are
to accomplish and the Lord counts on us to fulfill these. I thought of our
ministering responsibilities and how we are organized in a manner to take care
of each other. We are organized in order to ensure we all feel loved and cared
for, as the Savior would care for us Himself. (182)
2. Scripture: Numbers 11:1
1 And when the
people complained, it displeased the Lord: and
the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and
the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and
consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
This scripture
outlines clearly how our Savior, Jesus Christ feels about complaining.
Sometimes it we feel we need to vent and share our feelings in order to get
some clarity of the situation, or to have someone hear our side. However, we
can become negative and only see the negative in others when we choose to
complain. Sometimes those we share it with are also brought down in misery
because we are sharing the negative.
In the article called
“We Believe In Being Positive” January 2016 it says, “As we put our trust in
God’s plan for us and choose to live with a positive attitude, our ability to
deal with life’s challenges will be strengthened. Our worries and fears will
affect us less, and we will experience the joy He wants for us. (175)
3. Scripture: Numbers 11:16-17
16 ¶ And
the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the
elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people,
and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of
the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.
17 And I will come down and talk
with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee,
and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the
people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.
Principle: The Lord teaches us how we can approach
him with our worries, and frustrations rather than complaining. In this case
the Lord invites the priesthood and share how He will come down to them and
talk with them. He teaches bearing another’s burdens and that they will not
bear the burdens alone. He will be with them. I am also impressed how the Lord
will meet them. He will come to them. I have felt in my life when I needed
comfort desperately and I felt immediate peace as I shared in prayer my
frustration and hurt. Although the Lord was physically not there, I felt
comforted as I unburdened myself with my cares rather than take it internally
and not share with anyone or complain to others, I took my personal matters to
my Heavenly Father in prayer. (234)
No comments:
Post a Comment