"Let God Prevail"

LET GOD PREVAIL

Last month was the October 2021 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.   Although all were excellent, the crowning addresses were from the Prophet, President Nelson.

Anyway,  one of his that was particularly intriguing to me (and became even more so as I studied it) was entitled "Let God Prevail".  There is so very much more to this talk than this one aspect, so I encourage you to study the whole thing, but he started off by telling how he had learned that one of the Hebraic meanings for the name Israel is "Let God prevail" and "Thus the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life." 

The thought of "letting God prevail" reminds me of the above meme which has been floating around the internet (& if you happen to know who's work it is, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due). To me, it means being willing to submit our will to His, TRUSTING that His plan for us is so much greater than what we could design or even conceive on our own.

I guess, though, really, it first comes down to a matter of BELIEF. Below are some questions that came to my mind as I studied this talk that, at least for me, (as I often have to fight off the plague of "unbelief") is a good place to start :

*Do I really BELIEVE Him- that He loves me and wants something BETTER for me?

*Do I really believe that the Lord is the source of true JOY?

*Do I really believe that God is truly mindful of even the sparrow and wants nothing more for me than the very best? 
*Am I willing to see my trials as opportunities for growth  and deeper connection with Him? (This takes great faith, at least for me)

As I continued to study this incredible talk, Pres. Nelson goes on to ask even better formulated questions:

"Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? 

Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? 

Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? 

Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? (that was an especially big one for me). 

Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?"

These questions are sometimes kind of scary to face UNTIL we come to FULLY realize that what may seem like great sacrifices are not really sacrifices at all when we consider the growth and blessings on the other side of those offerings...

It's just that sometimes, as he also points out in his talk, we are "myopic"(or near- sighted) and we either can't see the big picture enough to glimpse the incredible, promised blessings He has in store, or we have yet to learn to trust God enough to take joy in our trials, sacrifices, sorrows and all other growth experiences, knowing that they eventually turn into our greatest blessings.

Elder Uchtdorf assures us: "...the righteous are not given a free pass that allows them to avoid the valleys of shadow. We all must walk through difficult times, for it is in these times of adversity that we learn principles that fortify our characters and cause us to draw closer to God...My dear friends, my beloved brothers and sisters, God will watch over and shepherd you during these times of uncertainty and fear. He knows you. He hears your pleas. He is faithful and dependable. He will fulfill His promises. God has something unimaginable in mind for you personally and the Church collectively-a marvelous work and a wonder."

Yet, it is hard to see this truth with our limited mortal eyes, but, if we ask in faith, Heaven will open our eyes to a glorious Eternal Perspective. Our daily habits of "putting on our armor" can help us keep that perspective in the forefront of our minds.

I love how he follows his questions with this thought:
"Consider how such willingness could bless you."

This can really be one of those life changing questions if we truly take it to heart. So what does "considering" look like for you & I? It might be taking time for a nice, quiet bubble bath with the intent to ponder this thought. For a young busy mom it might be locking yourself in the bathroom for an extra couple minutes or it could mean making time for quiet communion by waking a little earlier than usual. This last suggestion has been a blessing for me personally for the last several years and now I don't even miss the sleep! It has become something I truly enjoy and look forward to each morning!

Whatever it looks like for you, I testify that the GIANT blessings He is just waiting to shower upon us will be more glorious than we can comprehend if we can just take that leap of faith- with an eye of faith- and hold on with all our might through whatever adversity might come, until at last, it is fulfilled!

Blessings on your day,

Nikki