Learning from the Savior

"I have loved you, saith the Lord. 

Yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us?...

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love 

therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee."

(see Malachi 1:2 & Jeremiah 31:3)

This past week we've been reading through the gospels and focusing on how we can learn from the Savior's words. Christ teaches in many ways, one of them is in the way he performs his miracles and also how he teaches the crowd and uses parables.

Today, I'd like to share some insights on a few of my favorite stories and miracles and parables.

The first is when Christ blesses the fish and bread and feeds 5,000 (see Matthew 14). It's interesting to see the story from the perspective of the young man who sacrifices his fish and bread. In a way, it's sort of like us as disciple of Christ. The young man has spent all this time and effort finding and providing food for his family. Then, apostles come and ask him to give up all that he has so that they can bless it and pass it out to the multitude. The need -- enough food for 5,000 people -- is much greater than the supply that the young man has, yet Christ asks him to give it up. With faith and a desire for obedience, the young man gives Christ and the apostles his earnings and they bless it, to then go throughout the multitude and feed all 5,000 and they were filled. I love this story because it shows that whatever we have and whatever we bring to the feet of our Lord and Savior -- as long as it is everything we have -- it is enough! We will always walk away from the righteous sacrifices we make, richer than when we walked up to it.

My other all-time favorite scripture is when Peter walks on water toward Christ despite the storm knocking the boat around (see Matthew 14). Normally I would insert a pretty amazing testimony here about how the Lord will always and immediately be there for us, even if our faith starts to waver. This time, however, I'd like to share a different insight. This time, I'm going to focus on Peter's courage to take a step out of that boat, on to rushing, crashing waters, and walk towards His Savior despite all odds against him. What faith! As well, Christ allows Peter to walk on this water and try to test his faith and action. As we come unto Christ, we have to a leave our comfort zones and our plateaus and deal with something that we've never seen or done before--tough things--only to then accomplish things you thought you never had the capacity to do! We are given these experiences to help us become someone we're not yet, but someone our Heavenly Father and Savior know we can become! God loves our potential to become more than our tranquility right now. So, instead of waiting for things to come to you, seek them! :) 

Over and out.

"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth" (Alma 5:16).