Father Knows

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On occasion we forget (or maybe never thought about it) that our Father in Heaven knows us very well.

From a BYU devotional given in November 2003, The Wind Beneath Your Wings, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said:

“Sometimes it is difficult to see what good will come out of your efforts and where the road you are on will lead to. You might even feel like Paul on his way to Rome. In the book of Acts we read that Paul was taken as a prisoner to the capital city of the world's number-one military power. It looked bleak for the Apostle Paul. En route to Rome the ship he was on was caught in a perfect storm, one not made in Hollywood but in the Mediterranean Sea. All their lives were endangered. We read, ‘And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away’ (Acts 27:20).

“How did Paul handle this hopeless situation? Amidst all this commotion, he stood up and said, ‘Be of good cheer: . . . For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not’ (Acts 27:22–24). Paul then gave concise instructions that appeared at the moment far removed from a logical problem-solving process. Among other things, he told them to lighten the ship, and they did so by throwing things they cherished overboard. Then ‘they committed themselves unto the sea . . . , and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore’ (Acts 27:40).

“Fortunately the guards who were prepared to kill Paul believed his words and followed his counsel. The scripture reports, 'And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land' (Acts 27:44).

“There will be times in your lives when you will not know the quick answers for your circumstances. Rely then on the word of God. Your Father in Heaven will always teach you to fear not, but to be of good cheer, to lighten your ship of clutter and focus on the spiritual matters, to commit yourselves to the covenants you made, and to put your sail of righteousness into the wind and head courageously toward the land of your eternal future.”

The Lord knows us, our thoughts, our desires, our temperaments and inclinations. He will bless us in His own time. We should continue in faith, and wait for His reward.


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To view a copy of the Neighborhood News for Friday 10 June, click here.