I Will Meditate in Thy Precepts

Thoughts and meditations upon the goodness of God to us would close the avenues of the soul to Satan’s suggestions. God’s love for us is proved daily; yet we are thoughtless of His favors and indifferent to His entreaties. He seeks to impress us with His Spirit of tenderness, His love and forbearance; but we scarcely recognize the marks of His kindness, and have little sense of the lesson of love He desires us to learn. Some, like Haman, forget all God’s favors, because Mordecai is before them and is not disgraced; because their hearts are filled with enmity and hatred, rather than love, the spirit of our dear Redeemer, who gave His precious life for His enemies.

We profess to have the same Father, to be bound for the same immortal home, to enjoy the same solemn faith, and to believe the same testing message; and yet many are at strife with one another like quarrelsome children. Some who are engaged in the same branch of the work are at variance with one another and therefore at variance with the spirit of Christ.—Testimonies for the Church 4:222.

Let the student take the Bible as his guide, and stand like a rock for principle, and he may aspire to any height of attainment. All the philosophies of human nature have led to confusion and shame when God has not been recognized as all in all. But the precious faith inspired of God imparts strength and nobility of character. As His goodness, His mercy, and His love are dwelt upon, clearer and still clearer will be the perception of truth; higher, holier, the desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought.—Testimonies for the Church 8:322.
With God at Dawn p. 202
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray that the people who want to buy my mobile home and some other items, will follow through and actually buy them. Pray also for my dad’s upcoming knee surgery. It is on the 21st. Mike
—-Please pray for Jesse and his wife. He has gone to fight a fire in a neighboring state. Pray also that they will give their hearts completely to the Lord. M
—-asking for prayers for my aunt, who is very sick in the hospital. Kacy
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Dear Friends,

When I was a little girl, I spent most of my time with my grandfather, Edwin Harmon. From the moment he came home from work, until I went to bed, I followed him everywhere. No matter what he did, or where he went, I loved to be with him.

When he sat at the dining room table and made change purses from pungent Moroccan leather, he would help me to make one too. He would also explain how leather was made and how to tell a good quality leather by its smell. I watched him clean fish at the kitchen table whenever he had gone fishing. He used this opportunity to explain anatomy as he pointed out the fish’s still-beating heart and various other organs. When he was very tired from working as a bookbinder all day, he would sit in his blue, overstuffed chair and read. That is, he would read until I came into the room. Then he put his magazine down and tell me wonderful stories of his life in bygone days, or teach me how to make shadow pictures on the wall. When he ate his bedtime snack of aged cheese and crackers or crackers and milk or ketchup and bread, I did as well. I listened to him as he explained how these things were made. No matter what he did, he would explain it to me. I listened intently to his every word.

This is the kind relationship our Heavenly Father yearns to have with us. Our Great Creator desires to spend quality time with us. He wants us to desire to spend our time with Him as well. He longs for us to listen to His voice, to hear our response, to interact with us throughout the day. He desires to have us ask Him anything, to talk with Him about our perplexities, to bring our joys or our sorrows to Him. He promises to walk beside us, to lead and guide us. “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” “Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.” Isa 48:17; 30:21; Ps 25:8, 9

Jesus bids us, “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.” Matt 11:28-30 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. . . . If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:21, 23 Just before His final moments, Jesus prayed, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” John 7:24 That close walk can begin today. It is our choice.

May we have as close and loving a relationship with our Dear Father in Heaven as I had with my grandfather. May we read God’s Holy Word and keep what is written therein because we love Him. May we “trust in the LORD with all [our] heart; and lean not unto [our] own understanding. In all [our] ways [may we] acknowledge him, and he shall direct [our] paths.

Rose