Well, yesterday was a challenging day in a lot of areas.
- I felt fear and resentment in the morning
- I wasn’t very prepared for the day with goals and an agenda
- I wasted time on Facebook looking at pictures of people
- From there it went to Flickr
- I didn’t see pornography there but “tested the limits” a bit
- Then I got on TV and surfed
- I found one show that I knew looked a bit questionable
- I stayed on that show until I saw a glimpse of something I shouldn’t, then I quickly changed the channel
- I felt awful about the whole process of the day
- I talked to Becky about most of it
Resentments.
Fears.
Lust.
It’s a cycle. And the base of it is that I felt a few times that this is not what I should be doing, but I said, “Oh, I’m fine.” Or maybe even worse, “Whatever…”
I feel like a core issue too is that I’m not making the appropriate time at the first of the day to study. Instead, I’m putting it off, telling myself I will do that later. The reality is, I’M IN CHARGE of my schedule and I have NO EXCUSE.
I feel this was a “relapse” in a variety of ways. I came back to the show on the TV once for a moment a little bit later, didn’t see anything and didn’t stay for more than 10 seconds. There was no temptation to masturbate or anything like that. But just the fact that I fought against God’s will knowingly…
Today has been a bit better although I didn’t start my study until this evening again.
I’m giving the lesson tomorrow in Primary (I think) and it’s about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Summary of the Lesson
- King Nebuchadnezzar commands all the people to worship a golden image he had created. (Daniel 3:1, 4-7)
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego won’t worship the golden idol (Daniel 3:12)
- Nebuchadnezzar is furious and tells them they must worship the idol – he gives them another chance to worship the idol (Dan. 3:13-15)
- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego testify that they trust in God to deliver them from the fiery furnace and that they won’t worship his idol (Dan. 3:16-18)
- Nebuchadnezzar is furious again and has his servants heat the furnace 7 times hotter than usual and through the men in (Dan. 3:19-21)
- Four men appear in the midst of the fiery furnace (Dan. 3:23-25)
- The men come forth out of the furnace unhurt and everyone sees what happened (Dan. 3:26-27)
- Because of their faith and trust in God, Nebuchadnezzar commends them (Dan. 3:28-30)
This scripture is most powerful for where I’m at right now:
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his aangel, and delivered his servants that btrusted in him, and chave changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Because the three men “trusted in him” they were protected.
So the question I have for myself is this:
“How much do I really trust in God?”
It’s easy to say I completely trust in Him but with experiences from yesterday, when things were hard and I was afraid, I trusted in the arm of the flesh more than God.
I do feel better writing about it and having talked to Becky about things.
In the manual I’m reading for the lesson, it says this about the above story:
“…when we have the necessary knowledge, we can accomplish [many things]…we must have a knowledge of the gosel before we can live it. When we know the gospel is true, we have a testimony.
Who are people I admire from the lessons this year in Primary?
- Josiah: he was a noble man who feared God and stood for what was right
- Job: he went through so many trials but never backed down on his faith in God and in the Savior
- Joseph: he had a strong plan and knew what he would do when he was faced with a difficult temptation, he was forgiving of his brothers, he always looked at things from the bright side and made the best of the situations he was confronted with
- Moses: he was humble and prayerful and had to make challenging decisions to get the Jews out of Egypt
What do the Ten Commandments teach us about not worshiping idols?
3 Thou shalt have ano other bgods before me.
4 Thou shalt anot make unto thee any bgraven cimage, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not abow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a bjealous God, cvisiting the diniquity of the efathers upon the fchildren unto the third and fourth generation of them that ghate me;
I think this is interesting: as I read it I look at Facebook or the Internet as a potential “idol” I have a tendency to worship.
Maybe I should set a goal this week to not log on to Facebook at all, just keep up the business page so I can make sure things are working, or, if I log on, only go to the business page to make an update…
I want to make sure my goals are realistic and that I’m committed to sticking to them.
Putting Complete Trust in God
Shadrrach, Meschach, and Abednego weren’t for sure what would happen to them when they were thrown in the furnace.
Why were they still able to do what they knew was right?
They were willing to die rather than commit a sin that they knew would keep them from the presence of God.
How can I develop a testimony like that?
The Lord doesn’t always protect valiant people from going through trials, mainly because these trials can help them learn, grown, and become more submissive to His will.
Things I’m Grateful For
- I’m grateful for my calling.
- I’m grateful I was able to study tonight about Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego.
- I’m grateful they put their trust in the Lord and were valiant.
- I’m grateful I was able to talk to Becky about how I felt yesterday and what happened.
- I’m grateful I’m writing this out and that I’m willing to share it with Jason.
- I’m grateful that tomorrow is Sunday and I can start fresh.
- I’m grateful for the new book I’m reading related to business.
Hasta Manana!
Nate
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