Unsung Heroes

Day one hundred twenty-seven

This weeks scripture study has given me a lot to think about. I have recognized some of my own weaknesses while learning about the Israelites weaknesses, and it has increased my desire to improve in these areas.  That is what I prayed about this morning, my weaknesses and my desire to overcome them.  I know that He already knows the areas where I lack, but there is something cathartic about saying it out loud and letting Him know that I know too.  I love the fact that my Father in Heaven will listen and love me in spite of my weaknesses and will always encourage me to do better.   

Exodus 17

The Israelites will encounter an unprovoked attack by the army of Amalek in this chapter.  The Lord shows the Israelites that He is with them through Moses.  Moses instructed Joshua to gather an army to fight the Amalekites. Then Moses stood atop a hill overlooking the battle with the rod of God in his hand (Ex 17:9) and He raised his hands toward heaven. As the Israelites began to prevail, Moses’ arms grew tired and he lowered them. The Amalekites then began to win! (Ex 17:11). Noticing this trend, Moses’ brother, Aaron, and a man named Hur, rushed forward to support Moses’ hands so that they might remain raised until sunset and the winning of the battle.

Seeing Aaron and Hur upholding Moses’ arms must have made an impression on the Israelites who had been ready to stone Moses not long before (Ex 17:3-4). Not only would it have shown them that the Lord was among them, primarily by revealing His power and His words through His servant Moses, but it would have been the perfect example of what each person can do to help further the work of God: Support our leaders and each other.

To me Aaron and Hur are the unsung heroes of this story, especially Hur. Aaron will continue to be in the spotlight, but Hur seems to disappear into the shadows from which he came.  He is mentioned again in Exodus 24:14:  "And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them," and the name Hur appears in Exodus 31:2 when the Lord chooses "Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur" to work on the building of the tabernacle.  Even though we aren't given much information on Hur, there are lessons we can learn from him, and people like him, in our own lives.

People Like Hur Are Absolutely Invaluable

The task Hur accomplished that day doesn't sound like a lot to you and me, however, had is not been for the work of this man, Moses would not have had the strength to do his job, and Joshua would never have been able to lead Israel to victory in the battle. To me, Aaron and Hur are the heroes of this conflict. Had they not been there, the battle would have been lost and Israel would have been defeated! The job they performed was absolutely invaluable!

People Like Hur Are Always Involved

Hur wasn't a great leader like Moses. He wasn't a great General like Joshua. He wasn't a great High Priest like Aaron. He wasn't a warrior like those in the army. He was just Hur. We are told later that Hur was a man of influence among the people (Ex. 24:14). However, on this day, there was one thing Hur could do and he did it willingly, actively and faithfully. He could hold up hands and he did the best job he could!

People Like Hur Are Often Invisible
This man Hur is not mentioned before this incident and there are only a couple of others afterward. This is a man who lived in the shadows while others around him received the glory. He was invisible to the crowd, and he was okay with that.  He doesn't do the work for the recognition, he does it because he loves the Lord and it's the right thing to do!

People Like Hur Are Always Investors

As Hur lived his life and performed his God-given ministry, others were watching. Some time later, God needed someone to build the Tabernacle and provide a place where the Lord could meet with His people. When the Lord looked down at those millions of Israelites, His eyes settled on one man. It was a fellow by the name of Bezaleel. This man just happened to be the grandson of a man named Hur. Maybe Bezaleel was watching as his grandfather served the Lord. He watched as he took the backseat while others got all the credit. He watched as the Lord used Hur time and again for his glory.  Hur, through his example, was able to teach that the wise follower knows that his life is an investment. As we do the little things God gives us, we are telling all those around us that God's work is important in every detail.      

Hur understood that when we serve the Lord as we should, we are making an investment in the lives of others. We are making a grand statement about the greatness of our God. However, there is another investment that is taking place. God sees the invisible, He knows when we are involved, He knows that what we are doing is invaluable, and He will bless us for investing in His cause. Every good deed is an investment in eternity (Matt 6:19-21)! 

I want to say "THANK YOU" to all the unsung heroes who have positively impacted my life.  Your good deeds are recognized, even if I haven't always let you know!

I Can't Complain, But Sometimes I Still Do

Day one hundred twenty-six

There are some mornings when I am grateful for the fact that I tend to get up earlier than necessary.  It comes from teaching early morning seminary for so many years!  I enjoy having a little quiet time in the morning to say my prayers and to think about how to prepare for the day ahead, especially on the busy days.  This morning the extra time presented a great opportunity for me to talk with God about the events of the week, the concerns I have, and to seek His advice in dealing with it all.  I also took some extra time to be still and listen.  It was a great way to get centered on Christ in order to face my day!

Exodus 16

"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do." ~ Joe Walsh

This could be the motto for the Israelites! And me too!  Maybe even you too.

At this point in Exodus the Lord has delivered the Israelites out of slavery, He has destroyed their enemy, He has guided them to safety, and He has even provided them with clean water when there was none!  But the pangs of hunger seem to erase these things from their memory, because it isn't long before they start murmuring or complaining to Moses and Aaron.  This complaining was a big problem, in verse 2 it states that the "whole congregation" participated in the murmuring, and the word murmur is found in some form 8 times in the 36 verses of this chapter.

Moses tries to help them understand that what they are doing is wrong.  He tells them that, "Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord."  (Ex 16:8)

How many of us are just as guilty of not being satisfied with the blessings that God gives us?  We complain about our families, or that we have too many trials, or not enough money.  The list of complaints is never ending!  We are a complaining society!  This reminded of a quote:

"The people who live in a golden age usually go around complaining how yellow everything looks."  ~Randall Jarrell

What are some gifts that the Lord gives us that we tend to complain about?  Here are three things that I have been guilty of not appreciating enough:

My Life
No matter how difficult our life might seem, it is still a gift from God.  Every breath is precious.  I am always impressed by those around me that have extreme challenges in their lives, yet still have a positive attitude.  They recognize this gift for what it is and where it comes from, and aren't going to waste one precious minute of it!

My Family
We have discussed the importance of family many times before.  It is not always easy to see the members of your family as children of God, sent to be a part of your life for a reason.  They are the people that you love the most, but also the people that can push your buttons the fastest!  The problem is, we rarely learn to appreciate them for who they are and what they bring to our life until they are gone.  I love the saying: Love them like there's no tomorrow!

My Trials 
We all face trials, the goal is to tackle them gracefully.  There are awkward times in our physical growth when we are clumsy and stumble and skin our knees. It is painful when that happens. It is also painful when we are growing spiritually.  Our trials might lead us into situations where we feel embarrassment or anger or hurt.  Pain is a necessary part of growth. During these times it might be helpful to look at our trials from a different perspective: "I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders."  ~Jewish Proverb.  I love the wisdom of the Rabbi's!

These are some of God's most precious gifts to us in our journey, so how can we prevent ourselves from forgetting that? Take a few minutes each day (I try to think about it before I pray), to recognize the blessings that God has given you and thank Him for them.  Another effective way is to create a Gratitude Journal. Write in your journal at least 3 things you are grateful for each day and when times get rough go back and read what you wrote.  It often serves as a gentle reminder to change your perspective.  And don't worry, even if you don't recognize the blessings that God is giving you, He is still there, patiently loving and caring for you, and waiting for you learn to see Him in your life.

Life's Bitter Waters

Day one hundred twenty-five

I am particularly thankful for today, it is the least busy day of my week.  It is my catch up day and it came just in time!  When my schedule gets busy and I have to prioritize my list of things to do, cleaning the house usually falls last on the list.  Unfortunately, I am one of those people that can't let go of the feeling that I am somehow failing as a wife and mother if my house is not clean.  My family is great at helping out with the chores, but I live in a house with three men, and although they try, it is never quite Mom Clean.  So this morning I prayed with gratitude for a family that supports each other, for the opportunity I have to Mom Clean today, and for a Father who knows me so well that He blesses me with these days, every now and then, so that I keep my sanity.

Exodus 15

"The burned hand teaches best."  J.R.R. Tolkien

There is truth in these words.  Think of how many times you tell a child not to touch the fire, stove, etc, because it is hot, but they never really understand until they have been burned.  When this happens they can relate to what hot means. It is a lesson they will never forget as long as they live, but it was a bitter lesson to have to learn.  Unfortunately, we all seem to possess this same characteristic.  We have to be burned to learn!

In Exodus 15, Israel has been praising God for their great victory over the Egyptians.  They have been delivered from slavery, they have been given a new life and they have witnessed God destroying their enemies in the depths of the Red Sea. Now 3 days later, they are faced with another trial, they have no water to drink. To make things worse, when they arrive at Marah they find that the water is bitter or undrinkable.  But out of this bitter water experience they will learn some important lessons.  These lessons are worth examining, as we too will have times in our own lives where we will be faced with thirst and the bitter waters.

Life Lessons Learned


Life is a Mixture of Bitter and Sweet
I suppose they, like a lot of people in our day, assumed that once we sign up to follow the Lord, everything is going to be perfect and that there will be no bumps in the road.  According to the scriptures, life is a mixture of good (Ps 35:9; Eccl 9:9; 2 Ne 2:25; 2 Ne 9:18) and bad (Job 14:1; Job 5:7; Eccl. 2:17,23). This is a lesson worth remembering! When we are aware that life can go either way, then we are prepared for either.

Life has a Master
When Israel arrived at Marah, they seemed to forget all the wonderful things God had done for them. They forgot that up until that time, the Lord had been in absolute control. They forgot that God is the Master of life, both in the good times and the bad.  Sound familiar? We sometimes forget that the same God who is in control on the good days is still in control on the bad days! We are reminded of this in Romans 8:28:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Life Has a Ministry
God used these times, both the sweet and the bitter, to minister to the Israelites. What they learned about God throughout these times, shaped their perception of who God was and what He could do for them. The same is true for us. Every situation in life serves as ministry of the Lord to us. He uses all the times of life to shape us in His image. In all things, God is simply trying to make us more like Him (Eph. 4:13).

What They Learned about Themselves

Living for Self
They were only concerned with their bodily satisfaction. Forgotten were the great things God had just recently done in their lives. Instead of being caught up in His wonder, glory and worship, they were totally consumed with their own personal needs! We must remember that God doesn't want us living for self and selfish needs. He wants us to live for Him! When we do, He has promised to take care of life's trials (Matt. 6:33)!

Being of the World
Israel was guilty of looking for satisfaction in the world around them, instead of from the God who had saved them. Then, when their expectations failed them, they became disappointed with God.  As Christians we are to learn to depend on the Lord, completely and totally, for every situation in life. We are to be a people of faith (Rom. 1:17). When we step outside of faith and walk in the worldly ways, we have put God in second place.

Never Satisfied
The Israelites, just 3 days before, had seen the Lord destroy the greatest army in the world. They had seen God part a great sea and deliver them. Then they had seen Him take that same sea and use it to defeat their enemies. When these things happened, they opened their mouths and praised the Lord in song. Now they are standing by a pool of bitter water, complaining because the Lord didn't do it their way, in their time!  God's plan for our lives is that we learn to give Him glory in every situation life throws at us. Whatever we face in life, we are to praise His Name (Eph. 5:20; 1 Thes. 5:18; Phil. 4:6).

Lessons About the Lord 

He is Aware of Our Needs
God knew what they would face at Marah. He, Himself had planned their journey. He knew about their need before they did. Nothing in our life takes God by surprise! He is already in tomorrow and He knows what we will face when we get there (Matt. 6:32). God knows what we need before we ever need it. He is aware!

He is Able to Meet Our Needs
Moses was commanded to cast a tree into the waters and, when he did, they were made sweet. God, in His wisdom, had already prepared that tree for the meeting of their need. When they arrived, He was ready. He manifested His power and they got what they needed from the Lord. He is able to meet our needs as well!

He Has Already Provided For Our Needs
Years before Israel arrived at Marah, God caused a seed to germinate in the very place where they would need it. He looked ahead and prepared a way before a way was ever needed. He does the same for us! How would it affect our lives if we realized that our need is only the evidence of God's supply in waiting? (Phil. 4:19) We will never face a need in life that God hasn't already met.

I know this is a long post, but as I was learning I realized that if these life lessons ever sink in, it will change our lives forever. It will totally destroy worry, doubt and fear. It will liberate us from selfish interests and give us peace about all of life! Wow! All of this from a pool of bitter water, what an amazing God we have!

Another One Comes Up...

Day one hundred twenty-four


Each night, before family prayer, my family discusses what we have going on for the next day.  We do this so that we know what to include in our prayers, maybe one of us needs some extra blessings, so a special request might be made on their behalf. Last night my husband brought up the fact that he has a big presentation he has to do today and could really use all the support he could get.  My eldest son gave the prayer and did a beautiful job of requesting some divine help for his father.  I was still thinking about what a blessing it is to have moments like this in my family when I woke up this morning.  My morning prayer included gratitude for having the gospel in my home and the Spirit that it brings, and a special request that all the things my son prayed for in his father's behalf would come through today. 
 Exodus 14

One of the frustrating things in this life is the fact that just when you overcome one trial, another one comes up!  And often the new trial is even more difficult to get through than the last.  This is where the Israelites find themselves in Exodus 14.

They have just overcome their life as slaves to the Egyptians, the Lord in the form of a pillar of a cloud or of fire is leading them along, and then they "lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them" (Ex 14:10).  Needless to say they panic a little and take it out on Moses by saying:

"Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?" (Ex 14:11)

Basically, they are saying, "Why have you led us out of Egypt to bring us here to die"? Then they top it off with, "For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness" (Ex 14:12).

I don't blame them for having these thoughts, I have been just as guilty of going into panic mode during the onslaught of trials that sometimes come up in my life.  I am still working on the ability to exercise enough self-control to completely trust the Lord. 

Moses on the other hand is as cool as a cucumber, he doesn't even get angry with the Israelites, he calmly responds with:

"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Ex 14:13-14).

My sons would describe this as one of Moses' most 'epic' statements, I think I would have to agree.  These verses could be titled How to Face Your Trials in 50 Words or Less!  Let's pull out each step:

Fear not
Why should we fear not? "fear not, for I am with thee", (Gen 26:24; Isa 41:10). The Israelites literally had the presence of God with them in the pillar and still felt fear.  It is no wonder that those who have not had such manifestations should also feel fear.  There is something about fear that quickly erases our ability to remember that God is with us. How do we remember that God is with us?  Moses gives us an answer in the next step.

 
Stand Still
How in the world will standing still help us remember that God is with us and we need not fear?  Usually when we stand still we take a moment to think, to pull ourselves together, and to come up with a plan.  When God asks us to stand still there is a greater purpose: "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10; D&C 101:16).  This is not just being physically still, but standing still spiritually too, giving the Spirit the time to testify to us that the Lord is with us.  When we recognize that feeling and know that God is with us, then it is natural that the fear inside us will diminish.

See the Salvation of the Lord
Now that we know that the Lord is with us we need to take the time to see the events unfolding through His eyes.  We do this by allowing the power of the Spirit to open our eyes and  enlighten our understandings, so as to see and understand the things of God. (D&C 76:12).  This is when we start to understand that God has a plan for our lives, we recognize God in the details of our earthly journey, and we start to understand that all that God puts in our lives is for our benefit.  We learn to ask ourselves what am I supposed to learn from this experience? 

The Lord will fight for you
There are times in the scriptures when the Lord literally takes care of the enemy like swallowing up the Egyptian army in the Red Sea (Ex 14:26-30) or opening up the ground so that the wicked fall in (Num 16:30-35), but there is more to it than that.  When you look at footnote 14a in this verse it leads you to the Topical Guide (TG) for Divine Protection.  You find words like shield, fortress, preserve, save, and always with you under this heading.  It is more than a one time event, it is a lifetime blessing.

Hold your peace
The Lord is telling us that we should hold back on judging the situation because we don't have all the information.  The Lord has stated: "hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter" (D&C 10:37).  He is all knowing, not us, so we need to trust His assessment, not ours.

The Israelites needed this experience to grow.  Verse 31 tells us that through this experience "the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses."  We all need our trials in life so we can learn love, faith, and trust in the Lord. He will not give up trying to teach us until we have mastered the lessons.  We are not the fastest learners but we can make it a little easier on ourselves, the key is to remember Moses' words the next time another trial comes up!

Move Your Feet

Day one hundred twenty-three

It was an early morning, the night before had not been as restful as I'd hoped and I was up a little before 5am to prepare for my seminary in-service meeting.  I was too tired to roll out of bed and say my prayers, I would need a shower to help wake me up first.  When I was more awake I took the opportunity to pray to my Father in Heaven and to let Him know what I had going on today.  I would need His help if I was to get everything done today, some divine intervention would be necessary.  I shared my concerns and desires, it turned out to be a pretty good prayer. I felt better knowing that I could rely on the Lord to be there for me, to lift me when I was ready to stop.  I once again expressed my gratitude for Him and then I was off to tackle the day!   

Exodus 13

There are times in the scriptures when you have to decide whether something is meant only as a symbol of something else or is it a literal event.  I have always hoped that the events in Exodus 13:21-22 were of a literal nature. 

   "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

   He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."

How nice would it be to have a visual representation of God with you all day and all night leading you?  That's what the Israelites had!  They knew exactly where to go because the Lord was there guiding them through the pillar of a cloud and the pillar of fire.  It seems like it would make life so much easier, you just needed to follow Him.

Then I went back and looked at verses 17-18 again looking for where the Lord was leading them: 

"...God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near..." (Ex 13:17)

God didn't take them the easy way, He led them "through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea..." (Ex 13:18), a much more challenging path to take.

The choice to follow Him may have been more difficult for the Israelites than I had originally thought.  I could just see the people following the pillars with excitement at first, but when they realized that the Lord was taking them on a much more difficult journey they might have had second thoughts.  The choice to stay and follow would not be as easy to make under these circumstances.

Of course the Lord had His reasons for choosing that route:

"...for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt."  (Ex13:17).

He needed to prepare the Israelites, they would need to learn to be a people out of slavery and to rely on the Lord.  The Lord had delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, but the greater challenge would be getting Egypt out of the children of Israel.  In His wisdom He knew what would need to be done and led them in the appropriate direction.

That got me thinking:  Would I have stayed and taken the hard way? How many times have I been excited to follow the Lord until the circumstances became too difficult? 

I often have to remind myself:  Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you're not willing to move your feet!

I do not have the benefit of a visible 'pillar' to follow like the children of Israel, but I do have the Holy Ghost as a guide and I know that the Lord is active in my life putting the people and situations before me that will most benefit me.  It is my choice to be willing to be led and sometimes that is a hard decision to make.  I forget that the Lord is preparing me and trying to teach me to rely on Him more.  I need to be more willing to follow Him and be ready to move my feet!

Too Busy

Day one hundred twenty-two

I knew today was going to be one of those days where I really wouldn't have time to stop and breathe.  I prayed that the Lord would bless me with the ability to know what to do and to have faith that it would all work out in the end.  I would need these blessings today, because I would be tested as to what my priorities are and if I would listen to the promptings I received.

I started my research this morning on Exodus 13 verse 2 about the Israelites being required to dedicate their firstborn sons to the Lord.  I was pondering the thought of what that meant, dedicating my first born to the Lord, and if I would be willing to do that.  Then my phone rang, it was one of my previous seminary students who wanted to come over.  At first I wasn't sure if this was a good idea with all I had to do today.  I looked back at my screen and something caught my eye, a link called:  A Great Story about Life (An being too Busy!). Um...is that a message for me?  Of course I had to read it, after what I had asked for in my prayer it would have been wrong not to read it!

It was a parable of all things!  Here is what it said:

A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days. "Jack, did you hear me?" "Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said. Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it, Mom told him. I loved that old house he lived in, Jack said. "You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said. "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said. As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time. Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture.... Jack stopped suddenly. "What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked. "The box is gone," he said. "What box? " Mom asked. There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,' Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it. Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him, Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom." It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read. Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life. A small key was taped to the letter.. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser." The thing he valued most...was...my time. Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked. "I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"

I got the hint.  I texted back to my student that I would love to visit with him. I'm glad I did, it turns out that it is exactly what I needed to keep my sanity today. I know that there are a lot of people in the same boat as me, so it seemed like a good message to share.  I hope you enjoy it!

The Law of the Sacrament

Day one hundred twenty-one

I am always thankful for the opportunity to take the sacrament on Sunday.  As my understanding of the sacrament has grown, so has my appreciation for the chance to renew my covenants and get myself focused on Christ at the start of my week.  My prayer this morning was focused on the gratitude I feel for the blessings that the sacrament brings to my life and a request that the spirit I feel when I take the bread and water would stay with me this whole week.

Exodus 12

This chapter of Exodus discusses the Lord's direction concerning the Passover.  It was to happen every year to remind the Israelites: 

• To look backward, that they might remember what great things God had done for them and their fathers, that God may be praised, and their faith in Him encouraged.
• It was designed to look forward, as a symbol of the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the fullness of time.

We no longer observe the Passover in the way that the Israelites did, instead we have the law of the sacrament which was instituted by Christ before the Atonement and His death."We now observe the law of the sacrament instead of the Passover because the Passover was fulfilled by the death of Jesus Christ.  Passover was a custom looking forward to the coming of Christ and his crucifixion and the lamb symbolized his death..."  (Joseph Fielding Smith)

The law of the sacrifice shares some similarities with the purposes of the Passover:

• We have the chance to reflect on the past and remember the great blessings that the Lord has given us, to praise God for the blessings of the Atonement, and  to encourage or increase our faith in Him.
• It is also a time to think about the covenants we have made with God, and by partaking of the sacrament we renew those covenants as a preparatory step towards our desire to be with Him at the Second Coming.

The Lord is always preparing His people and blessing those that are obedient. We are very blessed to have this opportunity on a weekly basis instead of once a year. It is a great plan, if people choose to participate in it.   

I am grateful to the Lord for these thoughts today, they came as the perfect reminder for me as I took the sacrament.  They have helped me to continue thinking about the Lord and to have the Spirit with me throughout the day.  Now, it is up to me to keep it going for the rest of the week!