Well written, Ted! We tend to claim that we are exempt and thus are in more danger as we expose ourselves to the shafts in the whirlwind.
AJCurrieJanuary 20, 2016
I think we LDS are sometimes too sloppy in our thinking or careless with our words. For example, we talk about mortality be a "testing" period, or "God testing" us, or 'seeing whether we will obey'. If we use "test" in the traditional sense of determining what we know or will do, we are using it incorrectly. God, being omniscient, already knows our responses, so He cannot possibly be 'testing' us in that sense! Rather, He might be giving us "trials" so that we will turn to Him in humility when we realize our inability to satisfactorily manage our trials. Thus, we experience increasingly difficult trials (think of Job) to encourage our continued looking to Him for help even as we become more capable ourselves. Sort of a 'humility assurance' program.
"The Lord left the heathens in the Promised Land so that he could see if Israel would continue to walk as their fathers walked (Judges 2:22)." How could an omniscient God not already know the Israelites would not obey? He DID know; therefore, this cannot possibly be the reason 'He left the heathens in the land'. He must have had another reason. What that reason is might be a question worth pondering!
Lynette LewisJanuary 20, 2016
Thank you, this fits perfectly into OT Seminary Lesson 76. Your examples help 'bring this principle to life' and give application for our youth.
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Craig FrogleyJanuary 24, 2016
Well written, Ted! We tend to claim that we are exempt and thus are in more danger as we expose ourselves to the shafts in the whirlwind.
AJCurrieJanuary 20, 2016
I think we LDS are sometimes too sloppy in our thinking or careless with our words. For example, we talk about mortality be a "testing" period, or "God testing" us, or 'seeing whether we will obey'. If we use "test" in the traditional sense of determining what we know or will do, we are using it incorrectly. God, being omniscient, already knows our responses, so He cannot possibly be 'testing' us in that sense! Rather, He might be giving us "trials" so that we will turn to Him in humility when we realize our inability to satisfactorily manage our trials. Thus, we experience increasingly difficult trials (think of Job) to encourage our continued looking to Him for help even as we become more capable ourselves. Sort of a 'humility assurance' program. "The Lord left the heathens in the Promised Land so that he could see if Israel would continue to walk as their fathers walked (Judges 2:22)." How could an omniscient God not already know the Israelites would not obey? He DID know; therefore, this cannot possibly be the reason 'He left the heathens in the land'. He must have had another reason. What that reason is might be a question worth pondering!
Lynette LewisJanuary 20, 2016
Thank you, this fits perfectly into OT Seminary Lesson 76. Your examples help 'bring this principle to life' and give application for our youth.
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