Day 190 Ammon's Gratitude: Instruments in God's Hands

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells his followers that they are the salt of the earth, and in the same sentence offers a warning that savorless salt is good for nothing. Join me in an attempt to be savory salt as I share each day one verse of scripture and one small thought. Perhaps this small daily emphasis can lead to greater savor in your life and ultimately you and I can be savory salt.

Hello, my friends and family, wherever you're listening from. Thank you for joining me and know that I'm cheering for your every success. And today we get to celebrate the sons of Mosiah's success as Ammon dives into an amazing soliloquy, right?

This, this kind of speech of gratitude and appreciation to the Lord. Welcome to day 190. On our 365-day journey through the Book of Mormon together.

Thank you for joining me. You're going to be reading today Alma chapter 25 verses 4 through 17. You will finish that chapter.

And then Alma chapter 26 verses 1 through 3. I love Alma chapter 26, and I feel bad that Alma chapter 25 is going to miss a verse. But I couldn't pass up, as this has just a little sliver of Alma 26 in here.

We had to get this one. I just had to do it. So, read Alma 25.

You're going to see what happens with the Lamanites and the Amulonites and all the wrestlings that they have. You're going to have more people joining the Anti-Nephi-Lehis as they're converted. You're going to have some more massacres that create more conversions for the Lord, and it's quite an amazing experience there.

And then we get to this moment in Alma 26 where Ammon's just going to pause with his brothers and kind of say, wow, we've been like seriously blessed here. And that's what we're going to take a look at today. Alma chapter 26, verse 3, in the beginning of what Ammon is talking about here, he's talking about how amazing the blessings are that they've been given from God.

And verse 3 says: 'Behold, I answer for you, for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss. But behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God. And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work.' I love this.

Now, there's an activity inside of chapter 26 that I love to do. I want to share it with you because you're just going to get started with it. And then tomorrow, as we go into 26, you can continue with it.

What I've done in 26 is I sat down and just labeled as I've gone through this: tools of God and tools of Satan. And if you will watch back and forth, Ammon talks about tools of God and tools of Satan. And darkness, for example, that's a tool of Satan.

Light of God. That's a tool of God. Light versus darkness.

Us being instruments in the hands of God, we are tools of God if we choose to be used in that way. We also can be tools of Satan if we choose to reject the plan that the Savior has put forward for us. I love how Ammon celebrates his wins here and the wins of his brothers, and he does it fully acknowledging the Lord's hand in his life.

He sees the miracle for what it is, and he gives gratitude where it's due, and I love that. I know it's quite common for people to do a gratitude journal or to reflect on things that they're grateful for on a daily basis. I would encourage you in your own thoughts about things you're grateful for, wins you're having, that you would see the hand of the Lord in your wins.

He's there. He's cheering for you. He's seeking to help you.

He's willing to uplift you. And if you will more fully see his hand in your life, you'll continue to have his hand in your life more and more going forward. I love that.

And I'm so excited to dive in more to Alma chapter 26 tomorrow as we talk a little bit more about Ammon's perspective here on the wins that they had. That's all for today, my friends. Remember that 'by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.' Keep it small, keep it simple, and always seek to be savory salt. I'll be here tomorrow and I hope you are too.