A Gift Beyond Compare (1 Nephi 17:13)

March 8, 2006

“And I will be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before
you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments;…ye shall be led towards the
promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.” (1 Nephi
17:13)

Promised Land = a resolution to whatever problem you’re dealing with at any given time. For me, right now, it is a solution to my business difficulties—increased profits to cover my overhead; investors; a purchaser or partner; something that will allow my husband to work only one job and give me time to pursue my own writing projects.

Where I am now feels like a wilderness—overgrown with thorns and weeds which block my way; no clear path to follow; no sense of direction; dark, dreary, confusing, frightening.

But the Lord has promised to be my light. And He has been. He shows me each next step. Rarely do I stand for long, wondering where to put my foot.

I believe the Lord has, does, and will prepare a way for me. For example, yesterday He prepared a way for me to pay my bills. In the morning, I did not have the funds to cover them. In the afternoon mail came enough money to pay the bills, plus some.

The solution, the prepared way, was not a case of here’s a need—poof!—here’s a solution. The checks that arrived to save the situation were written and mailed days ago in order to arrive in my time of need. This comforts me. It tells me the Lord isn’t scrambling to help me. He doesn’t wait for my need then look around for a solution. He know far in advance what I will need and when I will need it and sets things in motion so the solution is ready and waiting when I realize I need it.

And the part that I cherish most about this verse is the last line—“and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.”

This is a blessing beyond belief. All of this struggle becomes easier to bear when I know it is the Lord who is leading me through it. The burden becomes heavy and difficult when I wonder if I’ve made a mistake or misinterpreted the Lord’s message to me.

To know that I am led by the Lord is a gift beyond compare.