In the eleventh verse of the sixteenth Proverb we read:
A just weight and balance are the Lord’s. All the weights of the bag are his works.
In the days when these words were written it was the responsibility of the keeper of the weights to possess enough measuring tools to be able to assign a just value whenever he was called upon. Since the markets were portable and shifting, and the weights of individual merchants varied, the keeper of the weights was always nearby on market days with his true weights in a bag wandering from stall to stall. Thus both trader and buyer could be assured of a true weight of their goods.
Solomon uses the imagery of this ancient weight keeper to remind us that the Lord holds the ultimate bag of weights and measures whereby the lives of all mankind will be valued.
In his wisdom he reminds us that when we are placed on the scale of the Lord, man’s propensity toward self-deception and the delusionary dumpings of mortality will be cast aside and only the naked soul of man will placed on the scale to be weighed.
Possessions, positions and powers will be stripped and thrown upon the dross pile and man with his character alone will remain to be measured.
From His bag the Lord will draw weights for measuring wisdom, kindness, humility, faith, self-control, comfort, mercy and truth, a seemingly endless lexicon of attributes and qualities needed for one to be counted as valuable in the eyes of God.
It is doubtful in that day that we will look longingly at the mountain of minutia which we had placed so much importance upon before our passage, now seeing it cast so haphazardly aside. I suspect we will hang our heads, feeling somewhat betrayed by a world and a life which led us to believe that success would be measured by possessions, positions and powers.
Perhaps during these days when the bonnet of color is falling to the earth and the wimples of winter are coming upon us, reminding us of the freshening new beginnings of new seasons. It might also be a time when it would be well for us to take fresh stock of what we are accumulating to bring to the Master of weights and measures.
How much of what we possess will end up on the dung heap?
Will the positions we’ve clambered for be acclaimed, or lose their luster, in the illumination of His glory?
Will the powers we felt to be of such great importance seem as significant as we kneel before the King of Kings?
What will remain when all the importance of telestialness has been cast aside?
Stripped of all earthly finery, standing in immortal coverings, what will remain to be placed upon the tray to be weighed, measured and valued by the Lord?
Supporting thoughts from Proverbs 16:
13 Righteous lips are the delight of the kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
18 Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
25 There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
HE KNOWS ME
During the last six years as I have been working my way through the Great Books of the Western World one of the concepts which struck me forcefully and which I have returned to contemplate several times goes something like this. A real relationship with God begins when we stop trying to find Him and allow Him to find us. I have to admit that most of the time I find myself lacking in the understanding of this principle, but when I have had momentary glimpses of understanding they seem to center around having a greater understanding of who I am and what is the purpose for my existence.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet. (Psalms 8: 3-6)
Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10)
That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. (Doctrine and Covenants 76:24)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16, 17)
During the seven decades of life which have been allotted to me thus far, I feel I at last I have begun to understand a little of what it means to allow God to find me:
1. My embryonic testimony is that the children of God need to feel his love.
2. My embryonic testimony is that it is not sufficient for one to love God, but they must discover, feel and embrace how much He loves them.
3. My embryonic testimony is that searching the word of the Lord strengthens ones feelings that He knows us and is aware of our needs.
4. My embryonic testimony is that those who surround us on a daily basis can either be a bridge or a mote to our triumphs or defeats depending on our perception of their actions and words.
5. My embryonic testimony is that no matter the degree of our progression we will have down days which give time to reflect on the many hurdles which we have jumped as well as a reminder that there are yet many obstacles to overcome.
6. My embryonic testimony is that there will be times when we step off the path and become muddied which is often followed by an almost immediate grateful realization for the cleansing of repentance and the Atonement.
7. My embryonic testimony is that the mortal creation needs time out from stress and worries, when they can in a state of calmness re-fresh and re-generate their energies.
8. My embryonic testimony is that the mortal body cannot be constantly against the wheel, but needs a variety in life’s activities to stimulate re-creation in the mind, body and soul.
9. My embryonic testimony is that all of us need a periodic ‘well done’ or ‘you can’ either from our fellow travelers or as a witness to our souls from the Holy Spirit to provide stimulus to take the next step.
10. My embryonic testimony is that mortality is not sufficient time to know all that needs to be known, to do all that needs to be done, to become all that we need to become.
And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words. For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1: 37-39)
One of the greatest gifts which comes to one whom God has found is that they are no longer burdened with the perception of a God who is trying to find a way to punish or bring sorrow into their lives, but are made alive in the understanding that they indeed have a Heavenly Father whose greatest desire and continual effort is spent in trying to help his children become all they can become.
We must gain a constancy of vision that Heavenly Father never brought junk into creation and that we all have an eternal responsibility to go forth with all our heart, might and strength to make sure all His work is not made vain because of our lack of effort.
We must not allow ourselves, others, nor Satan to bring to naught the combined efforts of the Eternal Purposes of Heavenly Father.
Is this then the miracle – as we come to recognize His knowledge of us (a knowledge which would be impossible for Him not to have being a Being of Omniscience) we come to know more of who we are and why we came into the world? We come to know Him as we come to know He knows us. As we begin to understand this magnificent eternal relationship will it not regenerate our remembrance of wondrous times past – enlighten our understanding of His constant attention to our daily development – give us hope of the marvelous realities of the glorious possibilities of our eternal existence.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet. (Psalms 8: 3-6)
Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10)
That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. (Doctrine and Covenants 76:24)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16, 17)
During the seven decades of life which have been allotted to me thus far, I feel I at last I have begun to understand a little of what it means to allow God to find me:
1. My embryonic testimony is that the children of God need to feel his love.
2. My embryonic testimony is that it is not sufficient for one to love God, but they must discover, feel and embrace how much He loves them.
3. My embryonic testimony is that searching the word of the Lord strengthens ones feelings that He knows us and is aware of our needs.
4. My embryonic testimony is that those who surround us on a daily basis can either be a bridge or a mote to our triumphs or defeats depending on our perception of their actions and words.
5. My embryonic testimony is that no matter the degree of our progression we will have down days which give time to reflect on the many hurdles which we have jumped as well as a reminder that there are yet many obstacles to overcome.
6. My embryonic testimony is that there will be times when we step off the path and become muddied which is often followed by an almost immediate grateful realization for the cleansing of repentance and the Atonement.
7. My embryonic testimony is that the mortal creation needs time out from stress and worries, when they can in a state of calmness re-fresh and re-generate their energies.
8. My embryonic testimony is that the mortal body cannot be constantly against the wheel, but needs a variety in life’s activities to stimulate re-creation in the mind, body and soul.
9. My embryonic testimony is that all of us need a periodic ‘well done’ or ‘you can’ either from our fellow travelers or as a witness to our souls from the Holy Spirit to provide stimulus to take the next step.
10. My embryonic testimony is that mortality is not sufficient time to know all that needs to be known, to do all that needs to be done, to become all that we need to become.
And the Lord God spake unto Moses, saying: The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine. And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words. For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1: 37-39)
One of the greatest gifts which comes to one whom God has found is that they are no longer burdened with the perception of a God who is trying to find a way to punish or bring sorrow into their lives, but are made alive in the understanding that they indeed have a Heavenly Father whose greatest desire and continual effort is spent in trying to help his children become all they can become.
We must gain a constancy of vision that Heavenly Father never brought junk into creation and that we all have an eternal responsibility to go forth with all our heart, might and strength to make sure all His work is not made vain because of our lack of effort.
We must not allow ourselves, others, nor Satan to bring to naught the combined efforts of the Eternal Purposes of Heavenly Father.
Is this then the miracle – as we come to recognize His knowledge of us (a knowledge which would be impossible for Him not to have being a Being of Omniscience) we come to know more of who we are and why we came into the world? We come to know Him as we come to know He knows us. As we begin to understand this magnificent eternal relationship will it not regenerate our remembrance of wondrous times past – enlighten our understanding of His constant attention to our daily development – give us hope of the marvelous realities of the glorious possibilities of our eternal existence.
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