6-30-11 “He did deliver me from bondage”, p. 30, Day 5

I’ve been pondering on God’s patience and long-suffering for me.  I realized last night during my prayers that his continual forgiveness is evidence of that.  Every time I ask for forgiveness, He willingly gives it.  If my children were to continually ask for forgiveness for the same thing over and over I would probably tell them they were not really being sincere.  But God sees me as a growing child, hopefully one who is learning.  He sees the little steps of progress that I make and how much I am trying.  God looks on the heart to see all that is unseen. 

Day 5:   “Salvation means to save or preserve something precious.  Christ’s atonement is His testimony to us of how precious we are to Him and to the Father.  Keep track today of some of the little ways, the positive coincidences, the tiny blessings that demonstrate your preciousness.  As the end of the day, record a few in your journal.  If you do not honestly feel precious before Him, speak to him, in writing, of your honest feelings.”

salvation, n. [L. salvo, to save.]

1. The act of saving; preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity.

2. Appropriately in theology, the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness. This is the great salvation.

Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. 2Cor. 7.

3. Deliverance from enemies; victory. Ex. 14.

4. Remission of sins, or saving graces. Luke 19.

5. The author of man's salvation. Ps. 27.

6. A term of praise or benediction. Rev. 19.

precious, a. [L. pretiosus, from pretium, price. See Praise.]

1. Of great price; costly; as a precious stone.

2. Of great value or worth; very valuable.

She is more precious than rubies. Prov.3.

3. Highly valued; much esteemed.

The word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 1 Sam.3.

Elder Maxwell: “Jesus, the Perfect Mentor”

The current Brethren have a saying, “How many tellings does it take?” It is a saying that is used in a kindly way, sometimes wistfully. Most of us shouldn’t be surprised if some of life’s hardest lessons require repetition. We recognize that we have taken the course before, and here we go again! It is a function of the long-suffering and the mercy of the Lord—until we get it right.

Life is about patience and long-suffering so the Lord can lead us to become the potential us; the potential me; who he sees and has always seen that I will become.  He is the sculptor chipping away all that is not me.  (Michael Angelo) 

I listened to Hilary Weeks  “Come take your place”

God spoke to me these words, “Who else can do your mission?  Not the ones without my light, they cannot give what they do not have.  Not the proud, they rely on their own strength.  Only the meek and humble.  Your mission is your mission and NO ONE ELSE can take your place.  You are precious to me.”

Listened to Hilary Weeks “It Would Never be Enough”

I felt a deep unspeakable concrete love; a precious determination to follow and love the Savior.  I gripped in my heart my feelings of love for Him and cherished the feeling of gratitude I have for all that He has done for me.  Then He said, “You are that precious to me, and more.”