WHENCE COMEST THOU? – WHERE ART THOU? – WHERE GOEST THOU?

There are three questions found in the scriptures which I would like to use as a springboard for my thoughts today.

The first is in Genesis 3:9 where He who knows all things calls to Adam and inquires “where art thou?” It was obvious to me that He who knows the movements of the universe would surely have known where Adam was hiding. Some time ago I was struck with the idea that perhaps the Lord wanted Adam to take inventory of where he was during that moment of his probationary passage.

The second is in the Pearl of Great Price in Moses 4:15 where we find the Lord asking Adam “where goest thou?” in place of the “where art thou?” which is found in the Old Testament. Here we find that the all knowing Being who surely knew Adam’s end from his beginnings was asking about his next step. Once again it seems to me He wants Adam to think about what was going to be his next step now that he had partaken of the forbidden fruit.

The third is found in Job 1:7 and again in the second chapter of the same book. Both times the question is addressed to Satan. The question is “whence comest thou?” A very interesting question, but I want to deal more with the answer than the question. It is another question we could use to help us see the need for constant introspection, since where we come from has a great effect upon where we are. However, Satan’s reply is very interesting. He replies “from going to and fro upon the earth.” We find this same ‘to and fro’ used by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians when he uses the expression to indicate one who is continually driven by every wind of doctrine, in these words identifying a life of indecision and vacillation; identifying one who not only doesn’t know where they are, and therefore can have little or no idea where they are going, but also one who has little hope of reaching any kind of meaningful destination.

I believe the Lord wants us to be constant in the measuring of our current status and where the next step we take will lead us. I believe he wants us to know that by not being diligent in taking inventory we will likely become wanderers upon the earth, shifting here and there with no real progress taking place. I believe if we are not ever alert to where we are and where we are going we will probably awake on the morrow finding ourselves in a ‘Groundhog Day’ existence or even worse, further from our goals than we were the previous morning.

Let me give you some examples I am thinking about which will probably reveal more about where I am and where I am going than where anyone else might be or where they might be headed.

When I take a step into the area of self satisfaction and begin to glory in my own works have I not moved significantly away from humility and recognizing God’s hand in all things?

When I begin to recognize ‘my nothingness’ have I not then started on the difficult journey which should only end when I have been ‘striped of all pride’?

When the concern for my own comfort and enjoyment causes me to become indifferent to the needs of others and I then withhold my ‘widows mite’ do I thereby distance myself from being a loving neighbor?

When I take from my ‘sparse stock of sheaves’ and add to my neighbor’s does not my love for him increase and cause a small breach in the wall of my aloofness which I have built between myself and many of my Heavenly Father’s children?

When I allow dust to accumulate on the ‘best books’ do I not leave underdeveloped the marvelous God given gift of being allowed to gain intelligence and thereby put a cloud of ignorance over a portion of my progression?

When I invite the inspired words of the authors of the ages to plant themselves upon my mind do I not take one more small ‘step into His light?’

When I allow unforgiven acts to fester cankered sores on my soul am I not adding to my list of enemies to whom I increasingly find it difficult to demonstrate charity?

When one act, whether intentional or unintentional against my self esteem is ‘forgotten and forsaken’ do I not find I have increased in my ‘Christlike love?’

I am convinced that there are no steps which we take in mortality which don’t affect our eternalness. During this mortal passage we will be on a constant journey from where we are to somewhere. From where I am I will either become something more or something less than what I was prior to the taking this next step. Sad indeed will I be if after a year of not noting my daily steps I awake and find that I have spent the last 365 days going ‘to and fro’ and I find myself in a traumatic nomadic furrow.

Therefore let us be ever aware of the voice of our All Knowing Heavenly Father ringing in our ears. “WHENCE COMEST THOU?” “WHERE ART THOU?” “WHERE GOEST THOU?” May we then take the necessary daily inventory which will guide us along the correct path leading to the fulfillment of the purposes of our short journey on this earth.