Deuteronomy 9

(May 6, 2014)
I think it is not uncommon that we are blessed with a blessing not because of our particular worthiness to receive it but rather because of another’s unworthiness to receive it.  We like to think that we are rewarded for our good behavior, when despite our occasional efforts to do good we are far from worthy of any attention from the Lord on our own merits.  When we are blessed with what we want, we must remember to thank our Father for these things.  When we are not blessed with those things we want, we should likewise thank our Father – this time that others were worthy to receive those blessings.

The second thought was about my journal-keeping.  I am very reluctant to include too many details of my failures and weaknesses in my journal.  I fear that including that sort of information will detract from the wonderful spiritual blessings and events that I have been fortunate enough to have experienced in my life.  But there is value, as Moses taught, of keeping our failures constantly before our eyes – of not releasing them from our own minds so that we know and are sure that we will never repeat the mistakes of our past.  Though my posterity might condemn me for the information that I provide to them of my weaknesses, to not include it would be to take away from the legitimacy of the very events (and Gospel) that I want them to know that I knew.

The final thought I had was related to the Lord overcoming great obstacles in bring the children of Israel into the promised land.  Each of us will face our own obstacles in reaching the Promised Land, and in each and every case those obstacles will seem insurmountable.  And, to be fair, those obstacles are insurmountable...for us.  But with the Lord at our side (or, rather, with us at His side) we can overcome and reach the blessed Promised Land that we seek.