"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
The part of this verse that struck me recently is the last part - that to come to God we have to believe that he will reward those that seek him. We have to believe in His goodness and love for us and His desire to bless us abundantly. The problem is, this can be really hard to do when hard times come, and we pray for relief but don't seem to receive any.
In your darkest times, how do you hope that God will reward you when you come to Him? How can we help others when they don’t see this? What would you say to someone who was struggling to believe that blessings (and better times) would come?
Richard G. Scott made some comments in May 1996 that have resonated with me in this regard. (from "Finding Joy in Life," May 1996 Ensign, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1996/05/finding-joy-in-life?lang=eng )
He gave this talk about one year after the death of his wife Janine.
Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, but they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do.
Learn from inspiring individuals who have made peace with their challenges and live with joy amid adversity. A lovely woman with an aggressive terminal disease consistently found joy in life. She understood the plan of happiness, had received the temple ordinances, and was doing her best to qualify for the promised blessings. Her personal journal records: “It is a beautiful fall day. I picked up the mail and sat down on the swing. I was so happy and content in the warm sun, the sweet smell of nature and the trees around me. I just sat and gloried in the fact that I am still alive on this beautiful earth. … The Lord is so good to me. How I thank him that I am still here and feeling so good. I am soooooo happy I just want to shout and dance through this beautiful house as the sun streams into the big windows. I love being alive.”
Simple, rejuvenating experiences surround us. They can be safety valves to keep the tension down and the spirit up. Don’t concentrate on what you don’t have or have lost. The Lord promised the obedient to share all that He possesses with them. You may temporarily lack here, but in the next life, if you prove yourself worthy by living valiantly, a fullness will be your blessing.
Find the compensatory blessings in your life when, in the wisdom of the Lord, He deprives you of something you very much want. To the sightless or hearing impaired, He sharpens the other senses. To the ill, He gives patience, understanding, and increased appreciation for others’ kindness. With the loss of a dear one, He deepens the bonds of love, enriches memories, and kindles hope in a future reunion. You will discover compensatory blessings when you willingly accept the will of the Lord and exercise faith in Him.
In spite of all that was just said, don’t expect that it will always bring comfort. Don’t expect that you will always be able to feel happy or hopeful. Those difficult times will come and in those moments all of these thoughts will seem to matter little. Those times must simply be endured. It is ok if you still feel lost and hopeless at times even with all that you know of the Lord’s promises and goodness. Try to hold on to these thoughts, to notice the compensatory blessings, and when you come out on the other side you will see clearly again.
In a recent talk Elder Holland shared some helpful thoughts. Watch the video at this link. The whole thing is great, but I would focus on 10:30 to the end.
I hope there was something here that resonated with you.
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