Overview: Genesis to 2 Samuel

This post today is a paper that i wrote for my final in my Old Testament class. I just wanted to share this and bear testimony of everything I said in this. I hope you read this and are strengthened or it makes you think about your own testimony. I love my Savior and my God. Merry Christmas and think of the Savior at this time of year! It is because of him, he is the reason to the season. :) I hope you enjoy this post.

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             This semester I have learned a lot. I studied Genesis to 2 Samuel. This was a great opportunity for me because I had wanted to learn the stories of the Bible better. Every week I was enlightened by the principles that I had learned. I grew from reading the viewpoints of others in my class and most importantly through sharing what I was learning through my blog. I found that this strengthened my testimony immensely. There were three principles that really stuck out to me and influenced me throughout all the readings. These three principles I would like to share are; Repentance, God looketh on the heart, and God is our rock and salvation.

            Repentance and forgiveness are very important parts of our lives. We learn that we have the potential to become like our Father in Heaven. The biggest trial that we must overcome to become like him is the fact that he is perfect and we are not. One pathway that He has given us to help us overcome this is through our Saviors atonement and the repentance process. Moses 6:57 says, “…all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence…” This scripture emphasizes that everyone, every man, must repent. Sometimes when we are doing good, and possibly on our way to being a little prideful, it is harder to see our faults and the things to repent for. This reminded me that, even during those times (maybe especially during those times) we need to repent, and we need to repent frequently.

            Repentance is something that we learn constantly, it is something that is stressed in the scriptures and in our church meetings. I have noticed that a day doesn’t go by in my personal scripture study that repentance is not preached.

We learn in Moses 5:10 that when we see our transgressions and when we repent of those transgressions we are not only blessed but we will find joy. We learn in Moses 5:15 that those who choose not to repent should be damned, and Moses 6:29 says, “…they have brought upon themselves death; and a hell I have prepared for them, if they repent not;”

We know that we need to repent and that it is a very important part of our lives. Repentance is a huge part of us becoming clean so that we can live with our Heavenly Father again and become like him. I want more than anything to become like my Heavenly Father, I want to see him again and to embrace him and simply be in his presence. The only way that I can do that is if I am clean, the repentance process is how I can be forgiven for sinning and not being perfect.

There is another side to repentance and that is forgiveness. Exodus 32:32-33 teaches us to forgive others. If we are expecting God to forgive us then we must forgive others.  When we repent our sin is blotted out in his book. We need to also have this state of mind when we are forgiving others, especially when it is hard to forgive them.

            Something that brings me great peace is the second principle I would like to share; God looketh on the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7, “… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” This brings me peace and comfort on many different levels.

 First, it gives me comfort to know that God knows my heart and that when I sin he knows the intent of my heart and actions. This does not excuse my behavior but it makes me happy to know that God knows my heart and my intentions. People make mistakes and sometimes people to things to be malicious, God knows this and will judge them accordingly; He knows where their heart is and has the full perspective. God knows where my heart is and knows that I try my best to do what is right, to avoid sin as much as I can, and he knows that I want to be obedient. He knows that as much as I try to do what is right I will sin sometimes. I am glad that the person who will be judging me knows my heart and see’s the whole perspective.

When I get overwhelmed with life and feel that I am failing at this I think to myself that God knows where my heart is, he knows that I am trying to be my best and when I sit across from him on judgment day he will know that I tried. This is what helps me push through and not get discouraged.

“ The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation” (2 Samuel 22:47). God is my rock and my salvation and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I need him and I want him with me every step of my journey here on earth. 

In 2 Samuel, chapter 22, verse 2, David talks about how God is his rock, his fortress, and his deliverer. I also have a testimony in this. It is just like the primary song says, if we build our foundation on a rock, our savior and God, then we will stand strong in times of tempests. It can be hard sometimes to do this and to live our lives this way, but we will be blessed and our families will be blessed. This can sometimes be hard for us because Satan knows how important having God as our rock is and wants us to falter and fail at this. We need to stand strong and have our eyes single to the Lord and we will be blessed beyond comprehension and we will stand strong in our times of trial and be humble in those times we are blessed.

Satan is trying to tear us down, he is trying to get us to fall, and he doesn’t want us to get back to our Heavenly Father. In Genesis 18:14 we learn that with God all things are possible, nothing is too hard for the Lord. Because I know this I want someone like him to be on my side always, and to be the steadiness in the storm. I want someone who I trust and have faith in to be the foundation that keeps me steady and is rooting for me. Who better to be my rock and my salvation than the person that I am striving to become? If the Lord is my rock and my salvation I can be strong and I can be courageous to stand up for what is right and what I know to be true.

I will keep myself sanctified, pure, and clean so that I can always have my Lord as my rock and my salvation. I will keep myself sanctified, pure, and clean so that he will always be by my side to help me, guide me, and forgive me.

 It is because I love my God that I will “ … keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway,” (Deuteronomy 11:1). It is because I love him that I will, “… rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee…” (Deuteronomy 26:11).

I have learned so much this semester and could have written so much more. I love my Heavenly Father and I need him. I have a testimony of repentance and forgiveness. I have a testimony that ‘God looketh on the heart.’ And I have a testimony that my Lord is my rock and my salvation and though him I can be with God again.