Emulate Jesus Christ -- Post 19: Does God Have a Special Message Just for You?

By Judy Rix...

If you want to speak to God, pray.

If you want God to speak to you, read the scriptures.

History is full of stories about everyday people just like you and me who were dealing with the same life challenges that we are. The Gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the scriptures holds the foundational solutions to their problems.

The human experience doesn't change from one generation to the next, and neither does God. His guidance is right there at our fingertips in the scriptures.

We Can Trust Established, Unchanging Answers While Seeking New Light for Current Needs. 

Gospel teachings can be adapted to our own circumstances with the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. In his January 1995 Ensign article, "Scripture Reading and Understanding," Dallin H. Oaks stated,

-- "Reading sacred texts is not just a study of the past but a tool for obtaining current, divine guidance."  

-- "The meaning of scripture is not limited to what was written; it includes what the Lord communicates to the reader today."

-- "Scripture reading tunes individuals to the Spirit, allowing for insights beyond the original text, and is essential for receiving personal guidance." 

Does God Speak to You Personally through the Scriptures?

Again and again when I've flipped to a random page in the scriptures, this is the page that falls open -- Doctrine & Covenants 98:1-3:

1. Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks; 

2. Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament -- the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.

3. Therefore, He giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.

It's remarkable how often this scripture has been the resolve to my concern of the day, almost like a "one - and - done" answer to many problems. Here are a few things I've learned from D&C 98:1-3.

• Can I Receive Comfort When I'm Fearful?

This passage teaches us that rejoicing and gratitude are antidotes to fear.

Do you remember the fear that gripped the world during the Covid 19 pandemic? On November 20, 2020, a prophet of God, Russell M. Nelson, offered the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints a "fast - acting and long - lasting spiritual prescription" to help them cope with those emotional and social challenges. He asked individuals to turn their social media accounts into a "personal gratitude journal" for seven days, posting every day about what they were grateful for, who they were grateful for, and why. I was one of millions who responded to that request. As a result, I found myself looking forward with hope and not fear. It was almost magical how gratitude changed my attitude and lifted my spirits.

There is always something to be thankful for even if we have to dig deep to find it.

• Why Must I Wait Patiently for My Prayers to Be Answered?

God’s timetable isn’t always our timetable. There is a reason for His delay. Isaiah 55:8-9 states, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Perhaps what we're asking for is not what's best for us. Through our patient waiting and trust, we may realize that fact on our own. Or maybe He is laying groundwork to bring about that very blessing. Or maybe He has something infinitely better in store for us than we can now imagine.

Although we often must be patient, it will all be made clear in hindsight. God knows precisely what He’s doing for our perfection.

• Does God Keep His Promises?

God considers me His friend. What truer friend could I have than my Father who loves me beyond measure?

He always keeps His promises. "...with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled." (D&C 98:3) God expects me, in turn, to keep my promises to Him, for God will not be mocked.

I can count on Him to keep His promises "...in His own time and in His own way and according to His own will." (D&C 88:68) He knows exactly how and when and the best way to bring about what is best for me.

• Why Should I Read and Re - Read the Scriptures Every Day?

Our Heavenly Father really cares about us, so He communicates in many ways, mostly through the scriptures. They have a divine power in which God can inspire our hearts. Even when I read the same words over and over, they resonate with my heart in new ways depending on what I need at the time. 

• Do the Scriptures Really Apply to Me?

Perhaps the most important reason to study the scriptures is that they teach about Jesus Christ. We learn how we can follow his example and become more like Him. As you read, try personalizing His teachings by inserting your own name as if He was talking just to you.

How has God given you personal messages through the scriptures? Please share in the comments section below.

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Go to the Source -- What Do the Scriptures and Respected Teachers Say?

"Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me."

Bible, John 5:39

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things which ye shall do."

BOM 2 Nephi 32:3

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success."

Bible, Joshua 1:8

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, “I sometimes think that one of the best - kept secrets of the kingdom is that the scriptures open the door to the receipt of revelation.”

(Doctrines of the Restoration, ed. Mark L. McConkie, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989, p. 243).