Look Forward With Faith

God works according to our faith. Let me take you to the beginning of the Book of Mormon where it tells of Lehi and his family. The Lord commands him to take his family into the wilderness because of the wickedness in Jerusalem--which would soon be destroyed. The Lord will always prepare a way, so he gave Lehi a ball to guide him (1 Nephi 16:10). This "ball", also called the Liahona, works much like a compass. Alma 37:40 reads:

"And it did work for them according to their faith in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day."

It is human nature to be lazy and do what we want to do. Because of the easiness of the way they forgot to be diligent and to have faith. The ball stopped working. They were afflicted and stopped in their journey or their progression.

I was thinking of how this can be related to my own life. How many times I have thought--my life is going no where, the Lord has forgotten me. I find when I do face those trials I am brought to my knees and must turn my will over to Him. When we forget who is really helping us through this course in life the Lord humbles us. The Lord can only direct our paths when we are walking! I love that in verse 40 says, ". . .if they had faith to believe that God could cause the spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done. . ." It's true. Do we all show that kind of faith? Do I show that faith?! Alma 37:44:

"For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land."

I see through this passage how much we need trials in our lives to remember that we need God. The way is prepared and the course is set. The journey has begun. The Lord cannot direct us in every decision we make--but remember this, if the decision is praiseworthy and of good report, take it to the Lord.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks says it best:
“[A person may have] a strong desire to be led by the Spirit of the Lord but . . .unwisely extends that desire to the point of wanting to be led in all things. A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal
choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are meant to experience in mortality. Persons who try to shift all decision making to the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in which they pray for guidance and don't receive it. For example, this is likely to occur in those numerous circumstances in which the choices are trivial or either choice is acceptable.

“We should study things out in our minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator has placed within us. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it if we receive it. If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment. Persons who persist in seeking revelatory guidance on subjects on which the Lord
has not chosen to direct us may concoct an answer out of their own fantasy or bias, or they may even receive an answer through the medium of false revelation”
(“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, Oct. 1994, 13–14).

This is not only the temporal matters but also the spiritual (Alma 37:43). We must always keep up our efforts to choose the right. Read your scriptures, go to church, pray every day and throughout your day (2 Nephi 32:9). If you fear to trust, trust in the Lord. He will fulfill all of His promises.

"But if ye keep the commandments of God. . . (for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them) behold no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. For he will fulfill all his promises which he shall make unto you. . ." Alma 37:16-17. Put the future in the Lords hands and have faith. With Him, I promise, that you will be able to make more out of your life than you ever could without Him. Our compass for our day is the living prophet, prayer and the scriptures. The Lord provides the way for us, He will direct our paths for good.