Hope Because I Need It

This week I have been able to observe how staying close to the Lord greatly improves my outlook and hope for the future.  I have found that when I am tired or give some other excuse for neglecting scripture reading or regular prayers, my vision of the future narrows.  My self esteem lowers and by imperfections seem to grow exponentially over night.  Even though God is honest with me about the things that I need to improve upon, He only ever requires me to work on them with His help, never alone.  He sees me as I am and as I can be, and helps me to focus on the latter.  With His help, I feel like I really could do all things.  When I turn away, the reality that I can't make it with all my imperfections looms over me and I don't feel like trying.  Staying close to the Lord helps to quash depression and gives me the hope I need to continue.  So this week I would like to express my gratitude for the Lord and His ever present involvement in and care about my life.  It is probably the biggest thing that I have to be thankful for.

In the last session of General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in one of his talks, Pres. Thomas S. Monson said:

(Quoting Matt 11)“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”⁹

Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, He is with us. He has promised that this will never change.

My brothers and sisters, may we have a commitment to our Heavenly Father that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. We should not need to experience difficulties for us to remember Him, and we should not be driven to humility before giving Him our faith and trust.

May we ever strive to be close to our Heavenly Father. To do so, we must pray to Him and listen to Him every day. We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain. May His promise ever be our watchword: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”¹⁰

With all the strength of my soul, I testify that God lives and loves us, that His Only Begotten Son lived and died for us, and that the gospel of Jesus Christ is that penetrating light which shines through the darkness of our lives. May it ever be so, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/i-will-not-fail-thee-nor-forsake-thee?lang=eng