HE SEES ALL

 

A lesson came to me this morning as I revisited the story of Alma and Amulek’s coming together as missionary companions. At first an understanding came to me that the Lord provided Amulek as the second witness of Alma’s message to the spiritually depraved people of Ammonihah (Alma 8:29) and as a merciful provision of comfort to Alma who sorrowed greatly for the wickedness of the people (Alma 8:14). What piqued my interest the most, however, was this: when Amulek recounted the story of their association, he said the angel that appeared to him told him to abort his journey to his nearest kin and return to his house because he will ‘feed a prophet of the Lord’ who had fasted for many days (Alma 10:7). It is astonishing to me that the angel didn’t say, ‘Amulek, receive this man into your home because you have been chosen to be his companion in his missionary labours’. Instead of the call to serve, the angel revealed the Lord’s most pressing concern:  Alma was hungry and he needs to be fed. Until now I have always focused on Saviour’s redeeming attributes but have missed his Fatherly ones. And to me feeding Alma was a fatherly concern. We know that the Saviour becomes our spiritually begotten Father upon baptism but I feel we seldom think of Him as such.

The scriptures are very big on lessons in prayer. Alma himself admonished the people of Gideon to pray for whatsoever they stand in need of, both spiritual and temporal (Alma 7:23). Paul told the Philippians not to be afflicted in anything but in ‘everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving’ let their requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).

Knowing that God’s primary concern is our eternal welfare has stopped me many times asking Him for temporal blessings thinking they are not as important. I have overlooked, however, the Father in Him who would do anything to sustain us in this life and the next. I don’t know if Alma was fed as an answer to a prayer but I do know that the Saviour has said the very hairs of our heads are all numbered (Luke 12:7). And none of us know that fact. He sees all, He knows all, and He cares about all.

As the sun bursts through the morning light

It reveals You in the depths of my heart.

Gratitude overwhelms me

For Thy enduring patience

Of my inconsistent delight;

My erratic trust,

My feeble faith in Thy might.

I marvel You wait

In the shadow of my stubborn heart

And reach out to me in forgiveness

To fulfil Thy part.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

ART: "Nurtured by the Word" by Greg Olsen