Are you sleep walking through Life?

We take a lot of things in our lives for granted; family members, friends, food, shelter, the gift of sight, of sound, of taste, to breathe and even our health. If we could only see the things God accomplishes on our behalf on a daily basis, you would be amazed. A minute earlier and you could have been in a horrific accident. If you did not call your friend, would he still be alive? David lamented: “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.” Elisha said to the king “Fear not for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” And then Elisha prayed “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes; that he may see.” And “the Lord opened their eyes …behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” Alma to his son Helaman, taught: “O my son, do not…be slothful…see that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live.”

On one occasion I bought a homeless man some food, as I finished paying, turning to see if he was alright, he had vanished. Was that an angel sent to test my compassion? “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Two men, Cleopas (Jesus’s uncle) and the author of Acts (Luke), on the day the Lord resurrected, were walking to Emmaus. A stranger came and walked with them, “but their eyes were holden that they knew him not. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them all in the scriptures the things concerning himself…And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.” Often time it isn’t until we realise the worth of someone or something in our lives that we lose them and vanish out of our lives forever.

President Monson has taught “When you are on the Lord’s errand you are entitled to his help.” In family scripture reading, my wife taught: “The priesthood is the privilege to act in the name of God, not the power to change the will of God.” They, the Lord and his ministering angels cannot act on our behalf until we “open our spiritual eyes” and begin to act for ourselves. This is one of the devil's deadliest weapons: “You can’t tell them that God does not exist. Tell them that he lives, but blind eyes with things and pacify them with the comforts and the busyness of life. Give them excuses and rationalise why they can’t do it. Tell them that all is well. That will stop them in their tracks.” Nephi warned us of this “…at that day…will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.”

Are we sleep-walking through life and taking everything that God blesses us with for granted? Our spiritual eyes need to be opened, awakened and look to the treasures of God. King David asked himself “O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God.” Moses realised “…for this cause I know that I am nothing…mine eyes have beheld God…not my natural, but my spiritual eyes.” Nephi recommitted himself “Awake, my soul! Droop no more in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. Do not slacken my strength…” And Moroni spoke to us today “Awake and arise from the dust…put on thy beautiful garments and strengthen thy stakes.” We must awake and arise, open our spiritual eyes as there are some absolutely amazing moments in our lives that we miss; take for granted and often times we casually toss them aside. If we do not awaken our souls, arise from the dust and stop sleep walking through the amazing and wonderful moments of lives, will miss out on life and its’ true purposes.

Love, love, love,

Spiritual References: 2 Kings 6:11-19, Psalms 18:32, 42, 42:11, 63:1, 23, 143:5-12, Isaiah 52:1-3, 54:2, Luke 24:13-31, John 4:13-15, 7:37-39, Romans 6:6, 12:1-3, Galatians 3:24, Philippians 3:14-15, Hebrew 13:2, Revelations 22:17-21, 1 Nephi 7:12, 2 Nephi 4:28-29, 28, Alma 26, 37:45-47, Ether 3:25, 13:8, Moroni 10:30-33, D&C 25:4, Moses 1:1-14, TG Man, New, Spiritually Reborn, Hope, I could not fit this, but read verse 7 of Hymn 85.