Your love, O
Your love!
Like a
soothing balm
From gilded
courts on high;
It flows, and
it calms,
It seeks and
it finds the troubled mind.
It gathers and
it lifts the sorrowing,
the lame, the
weak;
Ever and ever
Your mercy divine
Looks for
those who achingly weep.
-
CATHRYNE ALLEN
“On the night
of the greatest suffering the world has ever known or will ever know, He said, “Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you….Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:26-27)
“I submit to
you that may be one of the Saviour’s commandments that is, even in the hearts
of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed; and yet
I wonder whether our resistance to this invitation could be anymore grievous to
the Lord’s merciful heart.
“I can tell
you this as a parent. As concerned as I would be if somewhere in their lives one
of my children were seriously troubled or unhappy or disobedient, I would be infinitely more devastated if I
felt that at such a time that child could not trust me to help, or should feel
his or her interest were unimportant to me or unsafe in my care.
“In that same
spirit, I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the
loving heart of the Saviour when He finds that His people do not feel confident
in His care or secure in His hands or trust in His commandments.”
-
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Created
For Greater Things, A Collection of Inspiring Quotes
You come to me to dispel the darkness
And embrace me in the splendour of Your
light.
Even in the midst of Your Godly moments
You attend to the needs of my feeble heart.
I give my all to You who are
My wings of protection,
The Saviour of my soul,
The path to my eternal home.
He hears me when in the
Solitude of my darkest nights
On Him I call.
He hears me when in silence
My heart tries to hide
My fears that I might fall.
He hears me when in crowds
My mind wanders and doubts
Begin their insidious call.
He hears me whether
I cry to Him or not
Because He knows my very soul,
He knows it all.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
I carried my problems in a basket
To every friend I knew;
They rummaged and picked the ones
They thought they could stop me
From feeling so blue.
I carried my basket to the Saviour,
He recognised each problem so well;
He gave me the wisdom to solve them,
My suffering myself to quell.
He knew every fallen tear,
Every minute of fear and dread,
He knew the lonely road I travelled
And gave me solace instead.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: I Know You by B. Laura Wilson)
“Joseph Smith “saw the Twelve
Apostles of the Lamb…in foreign lands, standing together in a circle, much
fatigued, with their clothes tattered and feet swollen, with their eyes cast
downward, and Jesus standing in their midst, and they did not behold Him. The
Saviour looked upon them and wept. (Joseph Smith, “History of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” 2:381)
“In this same panoramic vision,
the Prophet Joseph saw Elder Brigham Young standing in a strange land….in a
desert place, upon a rock in the midst of about a dozen men…who appeared
hostile. He was preaching in their own tongue, and the angel of God standing
above his head, with a drawn sword in his hand, protecting him, but he did not
see it. (“History of the Church 2:381)
“For an unforgettable picture of
the unseen angelic armies that protect God’s faithful children, think of Elisha’s
frightened young servant who cried when he was surrounded by an ominous army, “Alas,
my master! How shall we do?” Answered
Elisha, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with
them.” ….And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw: and behold,
the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:15-17)
“….when we, like the young
servant, feel overwhelmed and surrounded by enemies and troubles, there comes
the comforting assurance: The Lord will not leave me alone.”
-
Bruce C. Hafen, “The Believing Heart”, p 102-3
“….I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your
midst and ye cannot see me” (D&C
38:7)
Angels
are you near me
To
catch me if I fall?
Do
you stand guard at the entrance
Of
my heart
On
God’s errand and sentinel’s call?
Do
you pave the way
And
steady my feet,
And
ensure my enemy’s defeat?
You
are unsung heroes
Of
every journey’s flight
You
are phantoms of love
Concealed
from mortal sight.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: In the Arms of an Angel by Danny Hahlbohm)
“By day and by night the shepherd is always with his sheep….This was necessary on account of the exposed nature of the land, and the presence of danger from wild animals and robbers. One of the most familiar and beautiful sights of the East is that of the shepherd leading his sheep to the pasture…..He depends upon the sheep to follow, and they in turn expect him never to leave them…
“As he is always with them, and so deeply interested in them, the shepherd comes to know his sheep very intimately…One day a missionary meeting a shepherd on one of the wildest parts of Lebanon, asked him various questions about his sheep, and among others if he counted them every night.
“One answering that he did not, he was asked how he knew if they were all there or not. His reply was: “Master, if you were to put a cloth over my eyes, and bring me any sheep and only let me put my hands on its face, I could tell in a moment if it was mine or not.”
-
George
M. Mackie, “Bible Manners and Customs” p 33,35
The process of the Saviour’s Atonement through which He came to know us personally and intimately is beyond our comprehension but the proof of His involvement in our lives is unmistakable. In one way or another, we are each afforded experiences with the Spirit which speak of the reality of Him.
He is the ultimate shepherd who knows His
sheep. He knows every pain, every difficulty, every desire, every intent. He is
watching, guiding and protecting. And in the end, He will bring us home.
You
see me dear Saviour,
Despite
heaven’s vast expanse,
You
hear the burning beat of my heart
Amidst
the numberless host of heaven.
You
cherish me,
More
than the stars that encircle Thy throne;
Thy
greatness is endless,
Thy
power sublime.
I
rest in Thy loving care
And
trust in Thy watchful eye.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: The Shepherd of My Soul by Gabriel Heaton)
“Each
evening at sundown, the shepherds bring their small flocks of sheep to a common
enclosure where they are secured against the wolves that roam the deserts of
Morocco. A single shepherd then is employed to guard the gate until morning.
Then the shepherds come to the enclosure one by one, enter therein, and call
forth their sheep – by name. The sheep will not hearken unto the voice of a
stranger but will leave the enclosure only in the care of their true shepherd,
confident and secure because the shepherd knows their names and they know his
voice.”
-
Elder
John R. Lasater, “Shepherds of Israel”, Ensign, May 1988, p 74)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he
that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other
way, the same is a thief and a robber.
“But he that entereth in by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep.
“To him the porter openeth; and the
sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them
out.
“And when he putteth forth his own
sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
“And a stranger will they not follow,
but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”
-
John
10:2-5
“Take
heed that no man deceive you; For many shall come in my name, saying – I am
Christ – and shall deceive many…” (JS Matthew 1:6)
How grateful to know Your voice
In this world of utter despair
And hear it echo
in Your loving
tender care.
How fiercely You watch,
How tenderly You care,
How safe You make me feel
Knowing You are ever there.
How grateful I am to be in Your
flock,
How grateful to be in Your keep;
You are my shepherd
And I am Your sheep.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: The Gate by Jenedy Paige)
Lehi’s sons’ return to Jerusalem to obtain the plates of brass from Laban reads like ‘Arabian Nights’ does it not??? Perhaps no other story about Nephi brings to light his obedient character and blind trust he had in God. Much has been expounded upon regarding his immortalized words: “I will go and I will do as the Lord commands….”(1 Nephi 3:7). I would like to add to all the worthy comments about it, what I see in Nephi’s readiness to accept the assignment given:
1. Nephi
had just come from ‘speaking with the Lord’ when his father approached him
regarding the task of obtaining the brass plates (v 1,2). Would someone fresh
from communion of prayer really turn around and say, no, I’m not doing that,
even if God commands it!? The fact that Nephi communed with God, I would
imagine, constantly, means that he had a relationship with God and was set up
for obedience.
2. The
next thing to consider is his reply to his father where he said, “I KNOW” that
God wouldn’t command us to do anything without providing the way for us to do
it (v 7). Knowing is more than believing. Knowing suggests experience. This
tells me Nephi was proficient in his faith and trust in God before they even
left Jerusalem.
This is, however, what impresses me most about Nephi’s success in
obtaining the brass plates. After a
failed attempt and losing all their precious things to treacherous Laban,
Nephi's brothers were more than ready to abandon the mission. But not Nephi. In
his final attempt to rustle up some enthusiasm, Nephi used a surprisingly high
standard of achievement to motivate his brothers to press on. He reminded them
of the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, and asked them to 'be strong
like unto Moses'. He then assured them that the Lord is able to deliver them as
He did the Israelites of old and to destroy Laban like He destroyed the
Egyptians (1 Nephi 4:1-3). But his brothers were not convinced, in fact, they
were even more discouraged (1 Nephi 4:4). You can just hear them saying:
"This is ridiculous! How can you compare Moses leading 2 million
Israelites out of Egypt to this dinky, arduous task we have received from our
father?" But it wasn't ridiculous to Nephi. For Nephi getting the plates
from Laban was akin to Moses crossing the Red Sea with 2 million people. Why?
Because it was beyond his capacity but not beyond God's. And he knew if he
couldn't achieve it, that meant that God would. Unlike his brothers who
believed that parting the Red Sea was possible for God to do but not possible
to deliver into their hands Laban and his fifty (1 Nephi 3:31). Quite a
paradox. Nephi didn't know how he was going to get those plates but he
went anyway. The rest of the story we know.
When you are standing on some precipice of life facing something you
have to do that is beyond your capacity to achieve, do not back down, only
believe. Do not look to your left or to your right but forge straight ahead
expecting the God of all might to intervene on your behalf. Nephi moved forward
wading waist deep into his Red Sea until it parted. I am certain he never
expected Laban to be dished up to him on a silver platter (1 Nephi 4:7,8). All
he did was trust the spirit by which he was led (1 Nephi 4:6). The God of
miracles did the rest. The God who cares, the God who wants to help us, at
every turn, at every corner, on every bank of the Red Sea. To him no challenge
is too big or too small. All that matters to you, matters to Him. He is at our
front and at our back. When we call, shall He not answer and say, "Here I
am" (Isaiah 58:9)? He is our forerunner who prepares the way and our
rearward in case we should fall (D&C 49:27; Isaiah 52:12; 3 Nephi 21:29).
Can you not rejoice and have hope when you hear:
"Fear thou not, I will help thee, for I am with thee…..I will go before
thee, and make the crooked places straight....for the mountains shall depart,
and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee…." (Isaiah 41:10,13; 45:2; 54:10).
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Trust In Jesus by Yongsung Kim)
