Whether by my own voice …

November 10, 2009
By

My word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

I always read that to say that it did not matter if God fulfilled his words directly, or through his servants, it was the same.

The first time I really thought about it was when a friend complained about how he had been in need and God had let him down.  No matter how much he prayed and trusted and exercised faith, he received no relief, just calls from his bishop, butting in.  He saw absolutely not relationship between his cries for help and the fact that the bishop kept calling up and asking him if he could help.  My friend would say no, and then go back to praying to God for help.

I told him the old story about the guy who hears from God that he will be rescued from a flood, so he ignores the various rescue parties that come by.  When he dies and is remonstrating with God, God says “but I sent a bus, a car, a boat and a helicopter, why didn’t you take one?”

How often do you think God tries to work through others?  How often do you think God would work through us if we would let him?

  • Jen

    I think God works through others much more than we recognize or want to admit. Also, I think we tend to decide what “relief” means to us and if God doesn’t give us that relief in the way we think it should come then we assume He isn’t answering our prayers. When we are struggling or living in affliction it can be very challenging to see the people or the things in our life that are sustaining us. Money, health, a loving spouse, etc. can all be things that we take for granted and don’t recognize as a blessing from God to help us through our challenges. Maybe it would help to pray for the ability to see what God is blessing us with in times of struggle and affliction because of the natural tendency to see what we don’t have and what we think we need.

    Thanks for this post. I needed to think about this and it has helped me to remember all the things the Lord is blessing me with right now.

  • http://mormonheretic.org Mormon Heretic

    My mission president used to say that we are God’s hands. He can’t work without us.

  • Rico

    #3 – I think the idea that God works through us is complex, just because I think we do it so badly. Even this Bishop you mention may have fluffed it. However, I think God responds to people who seek this help, menaing I think seeing your Bishop helps get the answer from God.

  • mormoninvestigator

    “Christ has no body but yours,
    No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
    Yours are the eyes with which he looks
    Compassion on this world,
    Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
    Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
    Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
    Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
    Christ has no body now but yours,
    No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
    Yours are the eyes with which he looks
    compassion on this world.
    Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

    Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

  • http://www.staylds.com Valoel

    But … I want God to perform a nice quiet miracle. That way, nobody will know that I am weak and need help. (being serious, this is a character flaw that I know I have).

  • MrQandA

    I have found that my doubts about the existence of God has helped me refine my desires to serve others, two reasons, one if there is nothing after life, what is the point to life if not to try and be the best person you can be! second If God does not exist then it is down to me to make a difference where I can because he won’t help.

    “whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” I have always seen this verse as a statement to the authority of Prophets ?

  • Tom

    I think that at times we give God too much credit for intervention when none exists. At other times we grossly underestimate his involvement. But by and large alot in this life is left to random chance and is just part of the experience we call life.