3.135 My Way or... The Lord's Way

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as Savory Salt.

Hello, my friends. It's a new day with new opportunities. Choose you this day whom you will serve.

I gotta admit, this one I'm gonna try to tread softly and with love, and it might be a little awkward for all of us. But let's get through it because the Lord is here to uplift us all. We are reading this week the Book of Deuteronomy.

Basically, Moses's farewell addresses. It's interesting the role that Moses has played throughout this entire section of the year or this season that we've been doing here in Savory Salt. Because all the way from Moses chapter 1 inside of the Pearl of Great Price, all of these stories that we have to this point in the Old Testament have been brought to us by the Book of Deuteronomy.

And so his words on the front end of the Old Testament weigh heavily, especially as he seeks to give us counsel here—or I guess, seeks to give the Israelites counsel—as they get ready to go into the Promised Land that we can look at and liken and apply in our lives. And that's where today's thought and scripture comes into play. And it, once again, I want to tread lightly and yet also be firm.

And hopefully, the Spirit can enrich all of us and fill our hearts, as is my desire each day that we do these episodes. Our verse for today is Deuteronomy 18:9. And it's the front end of Moses giving quite a list of things to beware of.

And so verse 9 is the front end of that. And this is what he says there. When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

And then he goes on into the list of the abominations of the nations that are in the Promised Land. Now, why did that stand out to me and why am I hesitant or worrying about the message I have to give here? It's interesting because as I reflected on this verse here, the thing that stuck out to me is something that I experienced in my own life, and it's something that I watched throughout my roles and callings as a missionary, as a ward mission leader, and in other callings that I have seen.

And here what it is, I see people that join the church and become part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and seek to understand the Lord. As the Lord encourages us to be one, there's only one way that we all get there. And that is if that oneness is with the will of the Lord.

You see, if I'm trying to be one and I want to do it my way, and you're trying to be one and you want to do it your way, then there's already two ways. And that can go into infinity in terms of how many possible ways things could get done. The Bible is a beautiful book.

It is a beautiful book that talks about the life of a man who is in need of help but also the life of a woman who is in need of help. As we come together, as we seek to be followers of Jesus Christ, may we seek to release our way and instead seek to understand and do it the Lord's way. My friends, I know that in my life I have found times where my life has been far greater enriched and uplifted when I have let go of Allen's way and instead turned to the Lord and tried to say, what is the way that thou would have me do this?

I hope that you and I can take an opportunity to take this counsel from Moses into our own lives: that we shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations, and instead remember the Lord, seek to do it His way, and seek to follow the counsel that His way provides in our lives. That's all for today, my friends. You and I have come here for such a time as this.

Step forward in faith, and let's be savory salt. We will be here tomorrow, and we hope you are too.