Primary - 70

Children, 

All too often we see blessings as curses. We have to go to church. We have to go to school. We have to read the scriptures. We have to say our prayers. Do you see what we are saying? This thing asked of us is daily and constant like muscle building. Our faith asks for constant mindfulness and exercise.

When the children of Israel saw all the miracles and signs, they still were not ready to come into their Zion. Bread from heaven wasn't enough and the quail came and with it serpents. When they conquered the serpents and made a symbol and example of one to show their victory over pain and death by putting it on a rod or staff to present before the children of God, it still wasn't enough for some because of its simplicity. 


Later, they would call spies (imagine that calling) to look at their new home of milk and honey. When they got back from their travels, twenty-two of the twenty-four only saw walls and giants of power and industry while two came back with grapes so heavy that the two if they had to use all their strength to carry them back to the camp.

We may be asked to do what we think is impossible. Whether you say you can or you can't, you're right. When the spies said they couldn't conquer the land, God said in fewer words "Fine, you can't, then you won't" and they didn't. It would take three generations later (forty years) to get a second chance; Moses didn't even get a chance to go into the chosen land. It would be Joshua and the spies who loved the bounty of blessings and the Lord, that went into the promised land, the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which became their new home. We will talk about Jericho next week so we will see how God deals with boundaries set by men to keep God and his people out.

We have challenges and if we let them frighten us instead of trusting the Lord, we may lose the opportunity that our challenges would give us. Do not opt-out of our challenges. Look for the grapes. Be grateful for your mana. If you get firey serpents in your life, show gratitude for your victories. Look up and look to the Lord. His victories will manifest in our life and His comfort will bless us. No scar or pain will overcome the blessing of the Atonement and gospel. Christ will be there for us. We testify that no matter how many times we just like Israel mess up the Savior is there with open arms ready for us to come back. We love you guys.
Brothers Bingham and Keller

Challenges

1) Read Deuteronomy 6-8, 15, 18, 29-30, 34
2) Write out how you have been challenged and blessed by the Lord. Ask a parent or relative about their experience with struggles and how they were blessed.

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