The book of Enos:
Enos tells of his guilt and his struggle for forgiveness- his mighty prayer unto the Lord and then in v5-8 he says,
5. And there came a voice unto me, saying : Enos, they sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.
6. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.
7. And I said: Lord, how is it done?
8. And he said unto me: "because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; Wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made the whole"
Several things stand out to me here.
1. Enos knew the nature and character of God. He knew that he could not lie. He had faith in his word. So when he said Enos was forgiven, Enos was able to believe him and forgive himself. He didn't hold on to the guilt but put it behind him and moved forward with his life.
2. Enos has a conversation with God. Its not just a prayer where Enos asks for things and then runs away...he is receiving revelation.
3. Faith was the key to his forgiveness and peace of mind. without his faith in Christ, Enos could have prayed all year and never felt forgiven. But because of his faith, when the Lord said he was forgiven- he allowed himself to believe it and was able to feel clean. He could have just as easily beaten himself up over and over for past mistakes and said, like so many people do, "well I believe the Lord will forgive that person- but I should not have messed up. He can't possibly forgive me." but he didn't say that. He prayed, he received, he believed.
V 12 and 15 :
12. And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grand unto thee according to they desires, because of thy faith.
15. Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: whatsoever thing yes shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
Again with Faith. Are we understanding how important it is in our life? I guess I always knew it was key but i didn't realize just how much control I have in determining the course of my life.
What does Enos teach us about faith?
1. We must ask.
2. We mus labor w/ ALL diligence
3. pray continually
4. believe you will receive
I think the only other thing I will add to this is in V12- "according to thy desires"...I don't think this means we get whatever we want if we follow these steps. But if we educate our desires- so that they are righteous desires and in line with the will of the Lord then yes we can have whatever we desire. The Lord wants us to be happy. But we must ask for things that are right for us and at the right time. We must pray continually so that we can align our will with that of the Lord- and then we will never ask for that which is not right for us.
V16-17:
16.And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
17. And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; where for my soul did rest.
we learn:
1. the Lord communicates with his children
2. The Lord fulfills his promises
3. He fulfills his promises in his own due time
4. when you get and answer- your sould can be at rest
we cannot rush the Lord. Enos got what he wanted, it just wasn't on his time schedule. Once we have received our answers from the Lord we need to let go. Have faith in his promises and don't worry so much about when and how. The Lord sees the end from the beginning and he knows when and how things will happen.
He closes in V. 27 by saying,
...And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on the immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me; Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my father.
I can only hope to say the same thing when my time on this earth is complete.
" Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." -Jeffrey R. Holland
Lesson: Have faith in the Lord's promises and wait on his timing.
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