Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 3:7-8

7 And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

The first verse speaks of God’s ever-present and ever-knowing nature. He didn’t say that he has been “told about,” or “had reported to Him,” or “been made aware of” the suffering of the Israelites. His words were those of a firsthand witness. He mentioned the affliction He has seen, the cries He has heard, and the sorrow that He knows. God had directly observed and cared for all of their trouble, just as He does for all of us. Sometimes it is hard for us to believe that, given that we do not see Him seeing us. When we raise our cries to Him it is always an act of faith to believe that He really hears us.

The Lord then tells Moses “I am come down to deliver them,” and indeed, here He is residing within, calling His champion to liberate the Israelites. This is not the first time that we have seen God and His messengers personally and directly working in our world, either. I pointed out the presence and direct labor of God’s angels when they saved Lot and smote the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. Obviously, we do not have the fullest picture of what processes God uses to work His miracles in our lives, but it seems clear to me that He is more directly, physically, and personally involved than we often give Him credit for.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Dealing With Failure- Proverbs 3:12, Doctrine and Covenants 121:43

For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

COMMENTARY

For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth
Reproving betimes with sharpness
God is love. God is willing to forgive. God does not stop being a caring Father because of our mistakes, He still accepts the sinner, and seeks for the sheep that is lost.
But that does not mean that He does not correct us. Nor does it mean that He will just sweep our sins under the rug. When we do something wrong, it matters, and He expresses this in no uncertain terms.
This is a quality I’ve come to appreciate a great deal from Him. He does not beat around the bush, He does not speak in cryptic riddles. When I have done something that is offensive, He makes it known in clear and direct terms. When He corrects us it is extremely sharp. Not in the sense of harming, but in the sense of being very precise and direct.
I have realized that many times when I have been offended, and I try to express it, I tend to be very blunt. Not in the sense of being straightforward, but in the sense of being broad and imprecise. I try to hint at my feelings without actually being plain and vulnerable.
So, too, when I try to correct myself. I speak to myself in exaggerated, end-of-the-world terms, splashing criticism over a broad area, most of it landing far from the actual core of the problem. But I am learning from His example how to pause, collect myself, and then speak sharply (directly and precisely) to the heart of the matter.