Friday, August 6, 2010

Alma - Chapter 58

More important than the battle field armor the warriors in this chapter wore was the Armor of God.  Obtained through prayer they were spiritually outfitted with miraculous protection.
10...."we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen and deliver us.
This humble expression of need and of dependence upon God and His grace had wonderful results.
11  "Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him." 
Not only to these faithful men attribute their deliverance to God.  They also acknowledge that God is the source of their assurance, faith, peace and hope.  Sometimes we seem to think we need to conjure those things up for ourselves.  Not so, God is the source of all that is good.  He not only requires that we have faith, He supplies it at our request.  As well as peace, assurance, hope and deliverance.  He is so very good to those who seek Him.

I think this story puts what He expects of us in a sweet nutshell.  First, He expects us to be humble, to recognize Him as the source of our deliverance; both physically and spiritually.  Second, He expects us to ask for His grace.  Then, having been fortified by Him as an answer to our prayers, must go forth and carry that peace, assurance faith and hope into demonstrated action.  (See verse 13)  How wonderful that in doing so, their deliverance wasn't easy, but resulted in success without the loss of a single life.  What a miracle!  Especially considering that they were out numbered, out provisioned, outside fortifications.  We may be at similarly apparent disadvantages in our lives but may rest assured that we, if we follow the Nephite's example, may enjoy similar outcomes in the battles we face.

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