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Five Stones and One Mighty God
"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation... Psalms 18:2
"In a moment of weakness we may cry out, 'No one knows what it is like. No one understands.' But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens." David A. Bednar
"In a moment of weakness we may cry out, 'No one knows what it is like. No one understands.' But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens." David A. Bednar
...The stone of COURAGE will melt the Goliath of fear. The stone of EFFORT will bring down the Goliath of indecision and procrastination. And the Goliaths of pride, of envy, of lack of self-respect will not stand before the power of the stones of HUMILITY, PRAYER, and DUTY."
Thomas S. Monson
1 Samuel 17
Emily Freeman
When you don't know what to do with what you've been entrusted with, give it your best effort(and by that, I mean your most authentic effort). Then trust God to perform His glory. It's what I've been thinking about since I left church today. Actually, I've been thinking about David.His story. His Goliath.
For some reason all the little pieces of that story came together in a big way for me today. You remember the story. How a giant of a man wielding a javelin, a spear, and a sword called out to an entire army challenging one man to a single combat. How David, a humble shepherd boy answered the call ––in defense of His God, in an effort to show the whole world that there was a God in Israel.
God gave David a great responsibility. It required David to do something. To be faithful to the call. In preparation Saul fitted him for the task with armor, a helmet of brass, and a coat of mail. Then David girded his sword upon his armor and made ready to go. In that moment something important happened. Something I haven't ever paid attention to before. Something that has caused me to think all day today.
David stopped in his tracks.
Then he turned back to Saul and said, "I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him." (1 Samuel 17:39) He picked up his staff and his shepherd's bag, and took 5 smooth stones and the name of the Lord and his faith… And then David ran to meet the Philistine. He entered the challenge as his most authentic self, bringing the skill and experience and gifts and abilities God had blessed him with.
He brought what he had to offer and he left the results to God.
We live in a world that rages with the battle between good and evil. On a daily basis we are called out in single combat to fight for the cause of the Lord . . . It's tempting to try on their armor.
But the invitation to receive inspiration and guidance came with counsel. Be authentic and consistent.Like David.
You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground . . .Gordon B. Hinckley
"Should there be a Goliath in our lives, or a giant called by any other name, we need not 'flee' or be 'sore afraid' as we go up to battle against him. Rather we can find assurance and receive divine help from Him of whom David wrote in his inspired psalm: 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. … Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.' (Ps. 23:1, 4.)" Thomas S. Monson
"Hang on the walls of your mind the memory of your successes. Take counsel of your strength, not your weakness. Think of the good… you have done. Think of the times when you . . . carried out . . . a dream or a desire for which you had deeply longed. Hang these pictures on the walls of your mind and look at them as you travel the roadway of life."Whister
"No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry . . . May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say." Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson
1 Samuel 17
Emily Freeman
When you don't know what to do with what you've been entrusted with, give it your best effort(and by that, I mean your most authentic effort). Then trust God to perform His glory. It's what I've been thinking about since I left church today. Actually, I've been thinking about David.His story. His Goliath.
For some reason all the little pieces of that story came together in a big way for me today. You remember the story. How a giant of a man wielding a javelin, a spear, and a sword called out to an entire army challenging one man to a single combat. How David, a humble shepherd boy answered the call ––in defense of His God, in an effort to show the whole world that there was a God in Israel.
God gave David a great responsibility. It required David to do something. To be faithful to the call. In preparation Saul fitted him for the task with armor, a helmet of brass, and a coat of mail. Then David girded his sword upon his armor and made ready to go. In that moment something important happened. Something I haven't ever paid attention to before. Something that has caused me to think all day today.
David stopped in his tracks.
Then he turned back to Saul and said, "I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him." (1 Samuel 17:39) He picked up his staff and his shepherd's bag, and took 5 smooth stones and the name of the Lord and his faith… And then David ran to meet the Philistine. He entered the challenge as his most authentic self, bringing the skill and experience and gifts and abilities God had blessed him with.
He brought what he had to offer and he left the results to God.
We live in a world that rages with the battle between good and evil. On a daily basis we are called out in single combat to fight for the cause of the Lord . . . It's tempting to try on their armor.
But the invitation to receive inspiration and guidance came with counsel. Be authentic and consistent.Like David.
You have His power within you to sustain you. You have the right to ministering angels about you to protect you. Do not let Goliath frighten you. Stand your ground . . .Gordon B. Hinckley
"Should there be a Goliath in our lives, or a giant called by any other name, we need not 'flee' or be 'sore afraid' as we go up to battle against him. Rather we can find assurance and receive divine help from Him of whom David wrote in his inspired psalm: 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. … Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.' (Ps. 23:1, 4.)" Thomas S. Monson
"Hang on the walls of your mind the memory of your successes. Take counsel of your strength, not your weakness. Think of the good… you have done. Think of the times when you . . . carried out . . . a dream or a desire for which you had deeply longed. Hang these pictures on the walls of your mind and look at them as you travel the roadway of life."Whister
"No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry . . . May we make a conscious decision, each time such a decision must be made, to refrain from anger and to leave unsaid the harsh and hurtful things we may be tempted to say." Thomas S. Monson
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