Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Psalms 129:23-24)


But if we, as a people, could live so as to be able at all times to bow before the Lord and offer up a prayer like this, what a delightful thing it would be, what an attainment we should have acquired in righteousness and good works!  I would recommend that every person adopt this prayer of David and see how near he can live according to the light that he has, so as to make it in all sincerity We must be true men and true women; we must have faith largely developed, and we must be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost to aid us in the work of righteousness all the day long, to enable us to sacrifice our own will to the will of the Father, to battle against our fallen nature, and to do right for the love of doing right, keeping our eye single to the honor and glory of God.
(The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow)  Lesson given by Kristy Bateman

Faithfulness in Times of Trial

“I feel, my brethren and sisters, to exhort you with heartfelt expression.  Be of good cheer – be not disheartened; for assuredly the day rapidly comes when your tears shall be dried, your hearts comforted, and you shall eat of the products of your labors.”

Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Lorenzo Snow, Ch. 7

Cheryl shared with us some verses of How Firm a Foundation which have touched her, and touched all of us as she read it:

How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, for refuge have fled?

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!

Two points Cheryl made:
1.  Dross is a waste product taken off the gold which then allows the gold to be shiny and beautiful.  Our trials are removing all of our dross, as painful as it may be, so that we can be sanctified and pure.
2.  That last verse has seven “nevers”  We are never alone!