so blessed. day thirty one
I feel like two months of blogging every day about my blessed life deserves some sort of grand closure with brilliant, fresh insight that we can all forge our way into 2011 with. Words from our Prophet qualify quite nicely, wouldn't you say?!
In this last conference, President Monson shared this scripture with us:
Gratitude is a divine principle. The Lord declared through a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. …
“And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.”
A wrath kindled God. Not something we hear too often when we talk about the characteristics of our Father in Heaven. Those are some strong words, especially to be pointed out to us by President Monson, such a tender-hearted man. And especially, also, because I'm pretty sure I could come up with a plentiful list here of more yucky sins than the lack of gratitude. But think of it, really, what kind of position are we putting not only ourselves in, but Heavenly Father as well, when we are not recognizing "His hand in all things," when we are not being thankful?
His wrath isn't kindled because our failing to "give Him credit" diminishes His status or power or anything like that. He is Omnipotent whether we are choosing to believe it or not. I believe His wrath is kindled because when we fail to recognize all that He has already given us, what more can He do to help us? And He yearns to help us.
President Monson says:
Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.
When we are not grateful He can not "unlock the doors of heaven" to us because we wouldn't see it anyway. We can not be helped to feel the reality and magnitude of His love because we aren't already acknowledging it. How frustrating for Him (this is where I believe the wrath comes in) when He loves us so much. That's amazing love.
And one more from our Prophet because he knows:
My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.
I want that. I want to touch heaven, and I know that a heart of gratitude can take me there....every day..... 'cause for sixty one days now, (well, many more than that) I've been blessed with beautiful glimpses.
thank you, friends, for taking me there with you.
Happy 2011!
In this last conference, President Monson shared this scripture with us:
Gratitude is a divine principle. The Lord declared through a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. …
“And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.”
A wrath kindled God. Not something we hear too often when we talk about the characteristics of our Father in Heaven. Those are some strong words, especially to be pointed out to us by President Monson, such a tender-hearted man. And especially, also, because I'm pretty sure I could come up with a plentiful list here of more yucky sins than the lack of gratitude. But think of it, really, what kind of position are we putting not only ourselves in, but Heavenly Father as well, when we are not recognizing "His hand in all things," when we are not being thankful?
His wrath isn't kindled because our failing to "give Him credit" diminishes His status or power or anything like that. He is Omnipotent whether we are choosing to believe it or not. I believe His wrath is kindled because when we fail to recognize all that He has already given us, what more can He do to help us? And He yearns to help us.
President Monson says:
Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.
When we are not grateful He can not "unlock the doors of heaven" to us because we wouldn't see it anyway. We can not be helped to feel the reality and magnitude of His love because we aren't already acknowledging it. How frustrating for Him (this is where I believe the wrath comes in) when He loves us so much. That's amazing love.
And one more from our Prophet because he knows:
My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.
I want that. I want to touch heaven, and I know that a heart of gratitude can take me there....every day..... 'cause for sixty one days now, (well, many more than that) I've been blessed with beautiful glimpses.
thank you, friends, for taking me there with you.
Happy 2011!
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