Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Jacob 4 - You get what you ask for

Jacob’s insights into revelation and God's relationship with Man is  thought provoking. It shows more than anything else God respects man’s will. He knows what is best for us, but He respects our right to choose and do less beneficial things.

The testimony of His great wisdom is in verse 10: “Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

When you contrast this, with what the Jews did, it should give us pause. We ought to consider what it is we are asking of God when we pray to Him. See verse 14: “But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness ... and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore ... God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it God hath done it, that they may stumble.

In verse 13, Jacob testifies God speaks the truth of things as they are and will be. He doesn’t lie. It takes humility to accept this truth and to follow His counsel. As I think about this, I realize, I need to be more humble and follow the counsel to in D&C 50:30, where the Lord promises it shall be given to us what we shall ask. I used to think that meant if we asked for something God would give it to us, which is true. But a former mission president made this observation that has forever stuck with me. It also means God will give you, or tell you, what you should ask for.

Isn’t that interesting?

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