My best friend Christine, reminded me a couple weeks ago of a religion class we were in one day and how the teacher said, "Nothing you suffer in this life will ever, ever, ever, EVER be in vain!!!" I needed to be reminded of this. I often feel in my heart that a lot of things have been in vain. I always try and fight off the "Doubting Thomas" in me, but I often find myself saying, what is the point? Did that sacrifice mean anything? Or what was the point of going through this or that? Are all my efforts and sacrifices in vain!!???
Well...today I tried to take a nap (ha!) and instead I layed there and was asking the Lord these same questions that I ask him everyday. I decided to read my scriptures and jumped back and forth cross referencing. I ended up in Isaiah chapter 55:10-13 and these are the words I read;
"8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my aways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. "
I would love to be able to give the insight that I was given as I read this but I don't know if I can explain it. Maybe the biggest thing that stuck out to me was what I said before. That nothing we do or suffer will come back to us "void" there IS a divine purpose and point to our works on this earth. In the Book of Mormon we read the wise words of Alma to his son, Helaman,
"Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls."
~Alma 37:6-7
In the world we say "It all adds up" but in the kingdom we may say, "It all multiplies up!" And nothing we do or suffer will ever, ever, ever, EVER be in vain.
