SCRIPTURES OF PEACE
Do you ever have those times where you just feel…off? Moments where it's not a giant, significant trial, but the everyday feelings of weariness that are taking your knees out from under you? Out of the blue, the ordinary stresses seem too much to handle, and the loving arms of your bed are a lot more appealing than Wednesday’s to-do list.
Duuuuuddddeees, if I had to sum up the week of August 31st through September 7th, that would be it. It wasn’t that life was incredibly hard, leaving me on my knees begging for strength, but I just felt kind of blehhhhh. My ordinary life suddenly obtained the characteristics of the weight of the world, leaving me feeling overwhelmed, a little gloomy, and pretty dang proud when the bare minimum was completed. Unfortunately, that allowed some pretty important tasks to slip through the cracks. Saying my prayers, connecting with God, or forcing myself to read one more “thee”? Yeah, that just seemed like waaaaayyy too much work. Many failures were recorded amongst last weeks riveting events, but there were a few moments of victory, when I came to my senses and asked for help. The comforting words of my Father in Heaven helped to remind me that these times of BLAH did not define me, did not have to define my day, and for sure did not define my life.
I never left a scripture study sesh feeling mad or irritated, or vindicated in the fact I had indeed wasted my time. Instead, I was uplifted and blessed with a moment of peace, which seemed to be incredibly fleeting during a downer of a week. The words of Christ helped to realign my vision, guide my attitude back towards the positive, and helped me to fight against the everyday weights that threatened to tie me down. If only I had chosen to cling to those moments of light, instead of letting the Eeyore tendencies overtake me. 😉
Reflecting on the incredible blessing that the scriptures are, it led my mind to wander down some of my favorite passages. As the negative thoughts and everyday stresses threatened to overtake me last week, what passages came to mind, gifting me with calm and comfort? Luckily for you, my four, stalwart readers, I am happy to share my day-savers with you. Although there are countless verses that speak to my heart, these are the ones that have been my necessary bursts of sunlight over the past seven days.
1. D&C 121:7
7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
This has been one of my favorite verses since I was a teenager, it’s message applicable in moments of heart wrenching trials, or the mundane minutes of every day. It simple words help to remind me of the immense love my Savior and Heavenly Father have for ME, the perpetual Eeyore! They are aching to send peace and comfort to my soul, all I have to do is ask. When I do, they will gift me the calm I am seeking, and help to remind me that hard times pass. Nothing lasts forever, and when I look back on my life, those moments of heartache will have been just moments in a wonderful adventure.
2. Mosiah 4:9
9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
This is another verse that has put in overtime hours in the terrifying mind of Negative (N)ellie. Trials stink! They just do! The worst is when it seems that there is no purpose to them. Right? Like, why did I sleep through my alarm this morning, causing me to run late the rest of the day? Why does this workout have to be so hard? Why is everything going so wrong when I am putting in this much effort?
This verse has given me a motto to live by: Believe in God! Trust in Him, the master of the universe, the Savior of the world, who is NEVER wrong. The weaknesses He gives me, and the trials He carries me through? He has a purpose for every single one of them. The moments of sadness and frustration are leading me to the best possible me, and the best possible life. When I can’t see the end, He can. Choosing to believe in Him and trust in Him gives me hope in my pits of deepest despair.
3. Alma 58: 37
37 But, behold, it mattereth not—we trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding the weakness of our armies, yea, and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies.
This verse I just recently discovered in my Come, Follow Me studies, coming to me in the moment that I needed it most. Stress? Grief? Sorrow? Hard-headedness? Weaknesses? “It mattereth not”. It doesn’t matter what we are going through, devastating trials that bring us to tears, or a need for motivation to write a blog we have put off (not speaking from experience or anything). The circumstances, the odds, or even our perceived incapability, they don’t matter when the Lord is on our side. As we turn to Him and use His help, mountains move, our hearts our softened, comfort is sent, and victory can be achieved.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
This one just soothes my overthinking soul. It’s so important to think through our trials, and life choices. We need to ponder and put effort into easing our sticky situations, making sure we give everything our all. However, there comes a time when we just need to give it to Him. Instead of letting the “what if’s” drive us insane, we have to actively focus on Him, doing as He asks, believing Him, and drawing closer to Him. As we zero in on maintaining the simple truths of the Gospel of Christ, everything else will fall into place. Sometimes, we just need to put it away, and let our ways be established in Him.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
This verse comes from one of my favorite parables, The Laborers in the Vineyard. Before, when I have pondered the lesson this parable contains, my mind tended to prioritize the important truth of not judging others, but welcoming everyone into the Gospel of Christ. However, upon studying it last week, this verse took on a more personal meaning for me.
So many times I have cried out, “Why are you doing this to me?” or “Why do I have to go through this?” It can be so difficult when we cannot see the purpose of a weakness we possess, or a hardship we are going through. However, They can. They know why we are going through a trial, and They know it is worth it, or we wouldn’t be going through it. We are Theirs’, and They love us enough to put us through the hard times, when we call Them evil, because They know the incredible blessings that will come from it. So, when hard times come, we can trust Them. We can have hope, because we know how good They are.
So, these are the scriptures that have quieted my aching soul over the past seven days. It’s interesting to see the common threads that weave their way in and out of these different passages, but there is one in particular that sticks out to me: They love me. Christ, the Savior of the world, and my Heavenly Father, love me beyond compare, just as They do you. They have proven Their love for me time and time again, a fact one would think would leave me less doubtful that They have my best interests at heart. They do, They always do. They are shaping me, and guiding my life, to unbelievable joys, and promise to help me throughout the difficulties. All I have to do is hold on, trusting in Them and using Their help.
I hope that these verses were able to bring some peace into the blah times of your life. Our Savior and Heavenly Father‘s help is there for us in the mundane and the dramatic, we just need to remember to use it. I hope that witnessing my silly needs for the scriptures has helped to remind you of some of your favorite verses. Please, share them with me! Goodness knows I could use some more reminders to use Their help 😉.
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