Awake, my soul!

2 Nephi 4

Lehi counsels and blesses his posterity—He dies and is buried—Nephi glories in the goodness of God to him—Nephi puts his trust in the Lord forever. Between 588 and 570 B.C.

Yet again, I'm amazed at how much I needed to read this particular scripture. Especially the end. Nephi is feeling overwhelmed by temptation. He says he is encompased about by them. He asks "Yea, why should I give way to ^btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my ^cpeace and afflict my soul?" We all have weaknesses. Even Nephi! Wow, he was a giant of a man, and he struggled. He continues: "Awake my soul!...Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the ^benemy of my soul."

"if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath ^avisited men in so much ^bmercy, ^cwhy should my ^dheart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?"

He then begs the Lord: "O Lord, wilt thou ^aredeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of ^bsin?"

"O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy ^arighteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine ^benemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way..."

"O Lord, I have ^atrusted in thee, and I will ^btrust in thee forever."

We all have these struggles. We stand before some of our weaknesses completely helpless. As Nephi has shown, we have to learn to turn them over to the Lord and He will clear our paths. We have to trust that if we ask Him to help us, He will. Awesome!