I just sent this to a close friend who is studying the gospel.
I really see God’s hand in your life, [John]. I see that your excitement began as you were seeing what was going on in the market for the week you mentioned and then it grew as you shared it with me and as we’ve talked and as you’ve thought it through. I’m excited about it. I saw the process grow and I just want to note that God is really answering your prayers–and I hope you’ll continue to go to Church and offer your heart to him as you have in such an amazing way.. for He has great things for you…
So this is what you brought to mind with your seed to oak tree metaphor (I love how you share things… set of feet analogy last night too
)… I call this set of verses The Lord’s Formula for Success–it is here applying to our faith and growing our testimonies of the truth, but it is a template, I think, for everything we do in life–for biz startups, for ideas that are good, for relationships, for all that is birthed for good in our hearts… So here it is.. I hope it encourages you in this bus idea and just helps you to see how close God is to you and how His presence is being realized in your life… keep reading every day, keep praying, even when you don’t feel like it..
See you,
K
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than
adesire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
28 Now, we will compare the word unto a
aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a
bseed may be planted in your
cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your
dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to
eenlighten my
funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.
29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith? I say unto you, Yea; nevertheless it hath not grown up to a perfect knowledge.
30 But behold, as the seed swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, then you must needs say that the seed is good; for behold it swelleth, and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow. And now, behold, will not this strengthen your faith? Yea, it will strengthen your faith: for ye will say I know that this is a good seed; for behold it sprouteth and beginneth to grow.
31 And now, behold, are ye sure that this is a good seed? I say unto you, Yea; for every seed bringeth forth unto its own
alikeness.
32 Therefore, if a seed groweth it is good, but if it groweth not, behold it is not good, therefore it is cast away.
33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.
34 And now, behold, is your
aknowledge bperfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your
cfaith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your
dmind doth begin to expand.
35 O then, is not this real? I say unto you, Yea, because it is
alight; and whatsoever is light, is
bgood, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?
36 Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.
37 And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.
38 But if ye
aneglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.
39 Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your
aground is
bbarren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof.
40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the
atree of life.
41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with
apatience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree
bspringing up unto everlasting life.
42 And because of your
adiligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the
bfruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
43 Then, my brethren, ye shall
areap the
brewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth
cfruit unto you.
