Your Faith Is Sufficient

3 Nephi 17

v. 7 Have ye any that are ^asick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or ^bleprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will ^cheal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

v. 8 For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your ^afaith is ^bsufficient that I should heal you.

v. 9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their ^ablind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.

v. 10 And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did ^akiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears.

This is a very difficult passage for me to read.  I have been chronically ill for four and a half years now.  I have prayed for healing, and those who love me have prayed for me to be healed.  I know that God can do all things, and that He has the power to heal me.  But He has chosen not to.  Not yet.

And when I read this passage, I wonder, is my faith sufficient?  Would He have healed me by now if I had had enough faith?  People have hinted to me that the answer is yes.  "You just need more faith..."

I have enough faith to bear this burden as long as the Lord deems it necessary for me.  I have enough faith to be patient and long-suffering.  I have enough faith to find joy and meaning in my days in spite of my illness.  I have enough faith to go to one more doctor and try one more treatment.  I have enough faith to believe that this life is still worth living.  I have enough faith to believe that I am still valuable to the people in my life who love me.  I have enough faith to keep trying to make myself a better person, every day.

Maybe that is what will lead me to have enough faith when the time comes for me to be healed.

Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ

I found this today. Coupled with my morning study, it seems to be the message God wants me to know.

The Winds Will Surely Come

3 Nephi 14
see also Matthew 7

v. 24 Therefore, whoso heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a ^arock—

v. 25 And the ^arain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it ^bfell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

v. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not shall be likened unto a ^afoolish man, who built his house upon the ^bsand—

v. 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

I have loved this scripture ever since I was old enough to know adversity.  There is a comfort to it, knowing that if you hold fast to your Savior, you will be given the strength to withstand any storm that may pass through your life.  

Well, the storms are raging, and I can testify that this scripture is true.  My Savior strengthens me, He comforts me, He blesses me, He compensates me for blessings lost.

I wonder, what is it about doing the words of Christ that gives you that protection?  What does He ask of us?  Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Judge not.  Ask for good gifts.  Serve others, "for inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  (Matthew 25:40)

Can you not see the life you are building when you follow Him?  A life filled with love and loving relationships.  A life filled with people who care about you and will remember you in your time of greatest need.   And even if people fail you, you still have a personal relationship with Christ that will carry you through your great difficulties.

The storms will come, the winds will blow.  Nobody gets a free pass.  Life is hard, and it was meant to be, because it is only in overcoming the obstacles and withstanding the storms of life that we learn and grow and become better people.  But I know that when I hold fast to my Savior and His teachings, I can hear Him whisper, "Peace, be still," to my heart.

Consider the Lilies of the Field

3 Nephi 13
see also Matthew 6

Today's study seemed to be answering the worries of my heart.  I know I'm not alone.  These are difficult, challenging times.  Many are struggling financially.  Add to that health issues.  And do we ever stop worrying about our kids?  Nope, I don't think so.

v. 8 ...for your Father ^aknoweth what things ye have need of before ye ^bask him.

My Heavenly Father knows me.  He is mindful of me.  He knows the troubles and worries of my heart.  And He knows just what I need, even before I ask.  Notice it doesn't say what things ye want, but what things ye need.  It isn't always the same thing, is it?

I've often thought, if God knows what I need, why do I need to ask?   But it really isn't about asking.  It's about approaching.  It's about humbling myself and coming to Him.  It's about aligning myself with His will and being prepared to accept His gift.

Because, how many times does He give us a gift, and we are not ready to receive it?  It isn't what we want, so we rail against it and throw it back in His face.  We are not at all grateful for this thing that we NEED in our lives right now.

v. 9 After this ^amanner therefore ^bpray ye: Our ^cFather who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

v. 10 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

v. 11 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

v. 12 And ^alead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

v. 13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

This is not a prayer of supplication.  God is not a magic genie waiting to grant wishes.  This is a prayer of approaching, a prayer of alignment, a prayer of humbling and accepting.

v. 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where ^amoth and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal;

v. 20 But lay up for yourselves ^atreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

v. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 v. 26 Behold the ^afowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

v. 28 ...Consider the ^alilies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;

v. 29 And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

v. 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

v. 32 For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

v. 33 But ^aseek ye first the ^bkingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

These verses are a call to me, lay down your worries.  There will always be money enough, food enough, clothing enough to get you through day by day.  All I need to worry is that there is love enough, and that I am focusing on my treasures -- my family.  My focus and energy should be on each of them, and leave the rest to my Heavenly Father.

A Great Love

Alma 20

v. 26

I love reading the account of Ammon and his brothers as missionaries.  It always brings up the feelings I had while I was a missionary in France almost 25 years ago.

Verse 26 tells how King Lamoni's father was astonished at the love that Ammon felt for his son, and that his son returned.  And it brings back thoughts of Sr. Le Tendre, Marie-Cecile, Albanne, Julien and Patrice, and many more.  The reason I loved my mission so much was that I loved the people I met so much.  We shared so much joy as I taught them the things that I knew to be true, as I offered them the opportunity to come unto Christ and delight in His gospel.  I loved them.  I loved the work I was doing.  I felt closer to my Heavenly Father than ever before.

I think about the time when this life is over and we all meet again.  Hugs and tears and laughter, and thank you's, I'm sure.  Unnecessary thank you's, because I've been blessed over and over again, not the least by their love and association.

Learning of Jesus Christ

Alma 18

I wonder what it would be like to hear of Jesus Christ for the first time.  I can not remember a time in my life where I did not know Him.  I was taught in my home and at church from the time I was but a toddler.  Ours has always been a Christ-centered home.

What if it had been different?  What if I had led my life not knowing him at all?  Growing up, playing with friends, going to school, fighting with my siblings -- all the normal things and stages we go through in this life -- but minus Christ in my life.

I can't imagine making it through the trials I did without knowing He was there, loving me.  I can't imagine making it through the darkness of teenage years without being able to cry out for help.  I can't imagine getting married without the peaceful reassurance of the Spirit that this was the one for me.  I can't imagine figuring out those early married years on my own.  I can't imagine -- and I cringe at the thought -- trying to raise my children in this world without His help.  And I can't imagine making it through day after day of this chronic illness without His comfort, His love, His succor.

What a remarkable moment it must have been for King Lamoni to discover that he had a Savior who loved him so much He had died for him.  And then to try the experiment, to call upon the Lord for forgiveness of His sins, and to discover with a full knowledge that Ammon's words were true.  Yes, I can see how overwhelming it would be.  I can see how one might lose strength and be carried away for a period of time.

Power In Christ

Alma 17

I've read these chapters many times, delighting in the stories of the great missionary, Ammon.  I wondered if there would be anything new for me to find in it this time.  Silly me, of course there is, because I come to the stories with different needs.

As Ammon faces the enemies, who are numerous, who try to scatter the flocks of the king, I am reminded of my own enemies that threaten my serenity and peace of mind, that try to place me at odds with my eternal King. 

By the power of Christ, Ammon was able to defeat every man who tried to harm him.  As they raised up their arms to smite him with their clubs, he smote off their arms with his sword.  He cut them off at the source of their power, rendering them harmless.

I, too, can turn to Christ to give me power to cut off my enemies at the source of their power, at the very beginning when they raise their weapons against me.  I come unto Him humbly, offering a broken heart and a contrite spirit, making myself worthy to receive the promptings of His Spirit.  Then, He will strengthen me, guide me, refresh me against evil.