In order to survive in the wilderness, the children of Israel needed to learn how to rely on the Lord. They rely on him for life-saving miracles, like parting the Red Seas. And for life sustaining miracles, like receiving mana from heaven everyday except Sunday. The same is true for us. If we were to survive our spiritual journey in the wilderness of mortality, we must exercise faith in Jesus Christ and we must exercise that daily not just occasionally. Some of us may not feel that our faith is particularly strong. Faith grows gradually day by day. It is nourished through small and simple things that we do consistently. One of my favorite examples of faith is when Moses parted the Red Sea. In Exodus chapter 14: 16-18, God talked to Moses saying, And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honor upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. This must have been crazy, how one simple act could part the red sea but because Moses had faith all these people were able to cross the Red Sea.
Last summer, I was determined to get better at painting. I looked up some paintings online and when I found one I liked, I got some paint and went to work. After I finished I looked down at my masterpiece and I was shocked. It was horrible. At this point I couldn't even remember what I was trying to paint. I realized that there was no way that I was going to become the next Picasso or Vincent van Gogh in the next month. So, I decided to take the small steps to improve. I started out by learning how to blend colors and making the line smooth and stuff. Like I'm still not as good as Picasso yet but by taking it one step at a time. My paintings are looking a lot, less disasterous. And In Alma Chapter 37, verse 6 it reads. Now ye may suppose that this is "foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.
Many people overwhelm themselves trying to accomplish big and great acts and think that by only doing huge acts will they be blessed. In God's eyes he doesn't compare us. He doesn't compare us to anyone but ourselves and what we're able to do.
Another story from the scriptures that I love is the story of the poor widow paying everything she had. The rich were walking up and paying lots of money and it said that every man was supposed to give what he was able.The poor widow came up and gave two months. Mark 12:43 says, and he called unto him, his disciples, and sayeth unto them, verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, in all that which they have cast into the treasury. She put in almost nothing compared to what the rich people had put in before her, but she had given all that she had. All of the other people cast in what they were asked to and even though it was a small amount, she gave everything that she had. Jesus told His disciples that she had cast in more than everyone else. He wasn't comparing how much she had put into everyone else but, that she had no clue where she was going to get her next meal or what she would do now because she had no money. She relied on her faith and knew that If she paid her tithing that everything would work out in the end.
I'd like to bare my testimony that I know faith is real. If we trust in the Lord, everything will work out in the end. It may not be the outcome we had wanted, but the Lord wants what's best for us and will always be there for us. I know that this church is true and that we have a true prophet living on the earth today. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.