Look to God and Live

By Larry Doyle Crenshaw

MeditationsInLight.Blogspot.com

With regard to God’s desire to bless His children with all that He has - His willingness to endow us with His power, His love, His compassion; His readiness to strengthen us in moments of weakness; to instruct us in our ignorance, and comfort us in pain, we live, as saying goes, “far below our privileges.”  The artist, Greg Olsen, in his painting, “O Jerusalem!” captured these emotions on canvass as Jesus sits on the Mount of Olives looking across the Kedron Valley to Jerusalem and says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37)

Once, as the tribe of Israel wandered in the wilderness and as they lost sight of God and His ways, they were beset by poisonous snakes.  Moses petitioned God for help and was told to erect a bronze serpent upon a staff.  They were told that if they were bitten all they needed to do would be to look upon the brazen serpent and they would not die. (Numbers 21:8)  The powerful symbolism of Christ, the cross, and the Atonement carries through the generations.  The message is “look to God and live.”  We are left to wonder how many Israelites said, “I will not,” and died.

How sad it is when, in our own lives or those of our family and friends, we experience or see the results of “…ye would not!”  There are times in our stubbornness or lack of faith that we go down bumpy, crumbling roads of our own construction, making our own unenlightened decisions, doing our own thing. Then, when God reaches out to us and offers us hope and salvation by gathering us under His wings, or asks us to look to Christ and live - to save us from ourselves, our own misjudgments, and our sins that we say to Him, “I will not!”

Thankfully, there are other times when we are more inclined to heed His call and be “gathered under His wings,” and seek out His healing and protecting balm.  When in the jaws of anguish and pain, feeling as if we are dying spiritually or emotionally, we may remember Him and His sacrifices and Atonement for us – in those moments we look to God and live.

It is not just individuals, but also nations that, now more than ever, must look to God and live.  Now more than ever, nations seem to be moving away from God’s protective wings.  I fear the day when those who “will not” will be more than those “who will” follow the Lord.  I fear that we in this nation are becoming a nation that says, “I will not” believe in God, nor in His promises, nor obey His commandments, nor accept His love.  More are saying “I will not care for the poor and needy.”  “I will not observe the Sabbath and keep it holy.” The day will come when God will have heard enough, “I will not.”  In that day, He will say, as He has promised, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Matthew 23:38

Until that day…

. . .  let us keep our eye singled

Upon the covenants of the Lord

And with celestial saints be mingled

And sing His praise with one accord

May we live forever by His grace

Let us faith and obedience give

In the safety of His embrace

Let us look to God and live

  

Look to God and Live

And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual.  For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.  And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.  O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.  And now, my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober. My son, farewell.

Book of Mormon   Alma 37:43-47

Look to God and live

The simplest command

That He can give

To mortal man

Yet so few are obedient

To His simple request

Lacking the ingredient

Of faith in Him to be blest

Many become idle and slothful

Due to the easiness of the way

Never worshipful, nor thankful, nor mindful

That by simple obedience they might win the day

As it was with our fathers, so it is with me and you

We live below our blessings and oft refuse to give

Gratitude and thanks that is justly due

And thus we fail to look to God and live

Therefore, let us keep our eye singled

Upon the covenants of the Lord

And with celestial saints be mingled

And sing His praise with one accord

May we live forever by His grace

Let us faith and obedience give

In the safety of His embrace

Let us look to God and live

Larry Doyle Crenshaw