As my hand got close to the metal plates, I could feel extreme heat near my fingertips.

I had forgotten I had already turned it on a few minutes previously and it was already completely warmed up.

I was grateful at that moment for the warning that the heat from the straightener gave me.

And I was able to avoid burning my fingers.

I love that the Lord gives us so many positive words of encouragement.

But it is also so important to look at the direct warnings He extends to us.

The Lord gave some of the Saints in 1831 this warning:

“Now, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them; and their children are also growing up in wickedness; they also seek not earnestly the riches of eternity, but their eyes are full of greediness.” (D&C 68:31) 

Did you notice those four specific warnings?

Don’t be idle, teach your children, be earnest in good things, and don’t be greedy.

Well, don’t those seem pretty appropriate for those of us who, today, are still trying to build up Zion?⁣

Don’t be idle—⁣

Our time on earth was meant to be for more than being entertained. ⁣

Teach your children—⁣

We can’t control their choices, but that doesn’t mean we can drop the ball on teaching them like their lives depend on it.

Be earnest in doing good things—⁣

We can’t wait to be commanded or be put in an organization that will force us to do good things. We’ve gotta be proactive, just like our Savior is. ⁣

Don’t be greedy—⁣

Thinking that we deserve more than others is a manifestation of pride that brings us away from God. ⁣

SUCH great warnings that the Lord gives. ⁣

Warnings don’t have to be rough, mean, or heavy. ⁣

In fact, I feel enlightened when I read about truths that I need to work on and fix.

Correcting loved ones and hearing correction from the Lord doesn’t have to be harsh or rude. ⁣

I am grateful that the Lord gives me warnings, and invites me to be better.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Heat warnings  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

I have… in the last week!

Arizona summers always baffle me.

I’ve lived here for eight years now, and most of the summer is marked by heat.

Like, extreme heat.

That sweat-dripping-down-your-back, blindingly bright, oppressive heat of the summer.

One of my favorite feelings is walking into my air-conditioned house and feeling that dramatic difference.

And then every once in a while (although this summer, more than usual), a monsoon moves through the desert.

Often without warning, high winds, thick dust storms, pounding rain, roaring thunder and constant lightning crash through the valley.

Trampolines and trees everywhere, roads flooded.

Just a few days ago, I sat inside my home as a monsoon roared through, filled with gratitude for walls, windows, and roofs that were strong enough to hold the danger outside.

I couldn’t help but notice the familiarity of these two phrases that Isaiah writes about the Lord:

“For thou hast been … a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat”. (Isaiah 25:4)

A refuge from the storm.

There are some summer monsoons that are small, and some that are destructive and deadly.

But He is there as a refuge during those storms.

Giving me peace to endure. Peace with whatever the outcome is. Peace when everything else is chaotic.

And He’s a shadow from the heat.

That oppressive, all-encompassing uncomfortable heat.

He has been that relief. Making my load feel a little lighter. Giving me comfort.

And yet my mortal mind still forgets to turn to Him sometimes.

I’ll be out wandering in the intense heat, or trying to endure a powerful storm, and I forget to ask for help.

I forget that He is the refuge and the shadow that my soul so desperately needs.

But as soon… AS SOON as I remember Him, that protection and that relief is there.

He is my refuge and my shadow.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Refuge and shadow first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.