Trust Ye in the Lord Forever

To my son, 

                Yesterday we read as a family the story of David and Goliath. I love this story because it shows us that we can do anything we need to with the Lord’s help. Goliath was huge—over nine feet tall by some estimates—and Saul and the army of Israel were too afraid to face him. But David, a mere boy nothing close to the size of Goliath, knew that with the help of the Lord he could defeat even this giant. He declared with faith to the king, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” He then said to Goliath with powerful faith, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand” (1 Samuel 17:37, 45-46). And the Lord did deliver him indeed because of David’s righteousness and trust in God. I know that you will face many challenges in your life, both great and small, and I hope that as you do you will approach them like David and not like Saul. Saul, the king who should have fought Goliath himself, was afraid and stayed put not knowing what the do for forty days. David, on the other hand, believed in the Lord and went forth without hesitation to face his foe straight on. As you struggle, whether in small things like people being mean to you or large things like a serious illness or the death of a loved one, I hope you will always approach them with faith in God and turn to Him instead of to fear, anger, or the solutions of the world. I love these words of Isaiah: “Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4). Remember indeed that we can do hard things when we put our trust in Him!

Another prophet who showed us how to put our trust in the Lord in the face of great opposition was Moses. After Moses had an incredible vision of the Lord, Satan came to him seeking to pull him down. He said to Moses, “Moses, son of man, worship me.” But Moses believed in the Lord and would not. “Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten.” After Moses refused to worship the devil, “Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me.” The word “rant” means “to speak or declaim extravagantly or violently; talk in a wild or vehement way; rave.”  In other words, the devil threw a temper tantrum because he couldn’t stand not getting his own way. Moses was afraid when he saw this, but “calling upon God, he received strength, and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory.” The tantrum continued violently: “And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook.” Moses continued to call upon the name of the Only Begotten, and “Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and he departed hence, even from the presence of Moses” (Moses 1:12-22). Moses held on to his faith, called upon God, and the power of the Savior overcame the power of the adversary. In addition to teaching us how to put our trust in the Lord and call upon Him in time of need, this story also teaches us that to rant and scream and wail and gnash is how the adversary wants us to act when we are upset. Always remember that—and when you are frustrated turn to prayer and focus on the Savior instead of letting your anger carry you away to wailing. I know that you can do marvelous things in your life if each day you will put your trust in God and call upon Him in all your challenges. 

Love,

Dad