Tag: Jesus

God’s Nudge

Verse: ‘Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it’, (Isaiah 30:21).

It can be hard to know how to live our lives at times. Sometimes the lines between what is right and wrong can become blurred and significantly less defined than we initially thought when outside of the situation. It can be easy to view the world as black and white, or right and wrong, when we are not experiencing what others are. I think this is something that all of us have experienced at some time or another and it is no different than when navigating our faith. This is why it can be seen as essential that we have some sort of grasp of our faith, whatever that may be, for these exact situations. I personally take pleasure in reading and studying the Bible and the Book of Mormon (among other scriptures from religious traditions such as the Quran and Guru Granth Sahib). In doing so I am able to learn and apply teachings of morality, philosophy, and ethics into my daily life and into any situations that may arise. Although abundant in wisdom and theology, the scriptures sometimes may not have the solutions we need in our daily challenges, especially in this modern and constantly evolving world. However, the scriptures do contain a host of wisdom when it comes to seeking advise from God.

In this regard one way the above Bible verse can be interpreted is that God is with us in scripture and our religious education to guide us when we may walk off the right path and become lost. It can be comforting to recall this verse when we are unsure of which direction to take, which decision we should select, or what action we should select. It is very common among my Latter Day Saint brethren to pray for guidance when the need to make a decision arises. Simply praying and asking for guidance and then waiting for a tug or push from the Holy Spirit can feel a bit ridiculous, especially if your faith is lacking, but is often the best way of breaking an impasse. To be nudged by God. I think it’s really important that we view God as Father. Yes, God is far greater than we can possibly imagine, but he also cares a great deal about us and seeks a personal connection with each and every soul. If I am stuck on something, no matter how insignificant it may seem, I know that God cares about me and if it’s something that troubles me, then it will trouble God too. He wants us to be happy. It is so important to know that we can come before God with our troubles and allow him to help us along with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ Journey After Death

Verse: ‘For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit’, (1 Peter 4:6).

During this time of the year, one of my favourite months in our calendars, I – like countless others all around the globe – find it especially useful to bring my mind back to mortality and my dearly departed loved ones. This time of year can be especially hard for those who grieve hard and for whom memories of loved ones bring back pain and for them, as always, I will pray and hope that one day that pain will fade and the loving-kindness of cherished recollections will flourish instead. I find it interesting to begin my meditations with scripture, the contested verse that describes Christ’s reason for journeying to the underworld is especially titillating as there are various notions which have been derived from it over the years. Seemingly minor verses such as these can often be overlooked in favour of reading with a focus on the Gospel or other juicier sections of the Bible, but it is snippets such as these that are fundamentally crucial when it comes to forming our own theology. In my opinion, the most interesting is that held by those who believe it is evidence that He went down into the underworld to preach the word of God to those who had already passed away without hearing the message of salvation. This verse is 1 Peter 4:6.

For myself the imagery alone in that idea is something that I find truly uplifting. A question as old as Christianity must be what happens to those who did not hear the preaching, the sermons, the lectures … The Good News that is Gospel? In this verse we can read and understand that all people throughout creation have the opportunity to be saved, not just the fortunate few who have heard the message in their lifetimes. This was especially important during the rise of Christianity as if the message of salvation could only be understood and accepted by those currently alive, then countless millions were destined to an unfortunate fate simply because of ill-timing and scheduling of life on Earth. With Christ there is hope, and while we as Christians know a certain amount about His life on Earth; his mission, his ministry, his healing, we do not know much at all about exactly what he did during those three days in the underworld. For me personally, this is a fascinating thing to muse upon during my reflections in the late evenings of October. Let us find comfort in the knowledge that God cares and deeply loves everyone, either living or departed, and that we too can feel cared for no matter what our future holds for us, as can those we love, and those we miss.

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