Have Thine Own Way Lord

Before moving from Genesis 16 it must be mentioned that Abraham was commanded to take Hagar to wife.

D&C 132: 34-35

 34 God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises.

 35 Was Abraham, therefore, under condemnation? Verily I say unto you, Nay; for I, the Lord, commanded it.

As I ponder this- I feel this is an extremely hard trial and I am thankful that I am not asked to do this in this dispensation. 

Some scriptures came to my mind as I pondered this difficult situation of Sariah, Abraham and Hagar :

1 Nephi 11:17

 17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

Isaiah 55:8-9 

 8 ¶For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

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.

I was thankful also for the words I read in a recent talk that I read earlier this week. I was thankful and knew I was led to read the correct talk as I considered all week what I needed to last leave written for my children. 

From " Yielding our  Hearts to God " by Neil F. Marriott:

Have Thine own way, Lord!

Have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter;

I am the clay.

Mould me and make me

After Thy will,

While I am waiting,

Yielded and still.²

So trusting my all to thy tender care,

And knowing thou lovest me,

I’ll do thy will with a heart sincere:

I’ll be what you want me to be.¹⁰

Lastly, I consider the words from the incredible Neal A. Maxwell in his talk titled, " Sharing Insights From My Life " , 

"The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. It is a hard doctrine, but it is true. The many other things we give to God, however nice that may be of us, are actually things He has already given us, and He has loaned them to us. But when we begin to submit ourselves by letting our wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him. And that hard doctrine lies at the center of discipleship. There is a part of us that is ultimately sovereign, the mind and heart, where we really do decide which way to go and what to do. And when we submit to His will, then we’ve really given Him the one thing He asks of us. And the other things are not very, very important. It is the only possession we have that we can give, and there is no resulting shortage in our agency as a result. Instead, what we see is a flowering of our talents and more and more surges of joy. Submission to Him is the only form of submission that is completely safe."

I can say with an honest heart that desire to submit my will to my God, my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. In all my life one thing is consistent- When I do what my Father in Heaven asks through the prophets, scriptures, leaders and the still small voice- I am happier.....So I will do whatever He asks me to do- I hope it's not the trials of Abraham that I will ever be asked to do- But, I trust that my Father will help me endure whatever it is that He asks. 

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

God Hears

When pondering upon the most important lesson that I can learn as I read Genesis 16 - although many beneficial lessons are taught, the one that has been called to my mind is the mercy of the Lord. 

In Genesis 16 we witness Sarai giving Hagar to Abraham as his wife. ( In order that her concerns about not having a male son would subside this was common practice of Old Testament time. )

As Hagar becomes pregnant with Ishmael we are told that she flaunted the fact that she could become pregnant but that Sarai could not- lacking compassion. ( Genesis 16:4 ) 

Although Hagar made a mistake when she did not show compassion in Sarai's tender situation  - the Lord was very merciful to Hagar's in her mistake.

( Sarai " delt harshly " with her, ( Genesis 16:6 ) and Hagar ran away from her home with Abraham and Sarai. ) 

The Lord sent an angel to comfort Hagar and give her instructions for her in her difficult situation.

As I pondered the Lord sending an angel to comfort His daughter despite her sin of hurting another- I was touched by this witness that we have of God's love for all of his children, even when they lack,and sin.

The angel told Hagar that the Lord had " heard her affliction " ( Genesis 16:11 ), and that she should name the son that she was pregnant with " Ishmael " which means that - GOD HEARS. 

This account is a beautiful example to me of just how much our Heavenly Father and His Son love us. The Lord did not want Hagar to miss out on the blessings that could be hers if she had not taken her son back to Abraham where he would receive the blessings of his father Abraham. 

Likewise, the Lord knows that we are all sinners but He still hears, listens to our prayers and He does send seen and unseen angels to bear us up in our afflictions. 

The angel that the Lord sent to Hagar said that she should " submit " herself into Sarai's hands and that her seed ( or blessings ) would be multiplied exceedingly. ( Genesis 16:10 ) 

Likewise, the Lord asks us to submit ourselves to the trials of our lives, be faithful to Him, endure to the end, and we too will receive the blessings of Abraham. 

I know that my God hears my prayers and that He is merciful unto me even though I - like Hagar make mistakes. I know that He wants me to subject myself to His will because as I follow His instructions the blessings of Abraham can be mine in eternity. 

I can imagine it must have been very hard for Hagar to return to a place that she was mistreated. I can imagine the hardship of  living in a place that she did not feel comfortable - but I have no doubt that just as the Lord sent an angel to rescue her when she fled into the wilderness- He did time and time again send His tender mercies to lift her up and give her the strength to endure. 

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

satan's lies and how to combat them

I am so thankful that so many have chosen to follow Elder Durant's " ponderize " suggestion. I felt prompted to share one way this has blessed my life. As part of the " ponderizing " that I have been doing over the years, I was led to choose scriptures that would help me combat satan's lies that we hear in this world. I have been very influenced by his lies in the past and having "go to" scriptures that I spent time " ponderizing " to quick rescue in my head has called the spirit to my rescue as I recite them in my head as an lie pops into my head because of a message I heard in passing, through a movie and even surrounding me in the grocery store.

Here is a list of scriptures that I have used to combat these lies. Perhaps finding out what lies you are prone to and finding your own scriptures that can be called to your rescue will help you as it has helped me?

satan's lies:

I am not beautiful -

Concerning beauty of women

1 Peter 3: 3-4
New Testament

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the a ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

1 Samuel 16:7
Old Testament

7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Proverbs 31:30
Old Testament

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Material Possessions and wealth will bring happiness -

Hebrews 13:5
New Testament

5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Jacob 2:18 
Book of Mormon

18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

Proverbs 28:6
Old Testament

6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

All is well if I believe in Christ, I do not need to do anything more but believe-

James 1:22-27
New Testament

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

I will never be who I want to be-

Romans 5:8 
New Testament

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Luke 12: 6-7 
New Testament

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Psalm 139:13-15
Old Testament

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.