I got to hear an incredible violin concert last night. It was a private concert, performed by my niece and her husband to an audience of about 15-18 people. It was a practice recital, kind of a dress rehearsal if you will. So, if they made a mistake, they could "fix it". There wasn't a whole lot of fixing going on in this concert. It was amazing to hear the sound of the music and the tone and the emotion in their playing, and the speed of their fingers! The two of them playing a duet together, awesome, in the true sense of the word. The spirit is so powerful in music. I get so moved and touched by good music. God is so good to us! He blesses us with such good things!
Yes, He blesses us with good music, good food, good friends and family, good health, good life! He blesses us with all things. And I started thinking.."[I] have come to a knowledge of ...His goodness and have tasted of his love"(Mosiah 4:11). His goodness is so amazing and powerful! So powerful that He delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians (Exodus 3:8), which is symbolic of the deliverance that the Savior would eventually offer to them, and does now offer to everyone, from physical and spiritual bondage, a constant reminder of the "goodness of God".
What a blessing for "the riches of His goodness...[because]...the goodness of God leadeth [us] to repentance" (Romans 2:4). (Not keen on repentance, read Laundry and The Physician). With His goodness, we get a second chance, again and again because He knew we would need more than one chance. He knew we would all be "beggars...begging for a remission for [our] sins" and does He let us beg "in vain?" No. He pours out His Spirit upon us and causes that our hearts be filled with joy and causes that our mouths can't speak "so exceedingly great is our joy" when we repent and return to Him.(Mosiah 4:19-20). That is incredible goodness!
His "infinite goodness" (Mosiah 5:3) is- that He has "prepared a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit" (2 Nephi 9:10). We aren't stuck when we make a mistake or commit sin, which is spiritual death/death of the spirit or when we physically die/death of the body. His "Infinite goodness" is the atonement, made for you and me, so that we can "sing the song of redeeming love" (Alma 5:26) because our hearts don't have to stay the same. We don't have to keep repeating the bad notes in our lives when we make a mistake. We can and do, through faith in Jesus Christ, have His goodness fill us up and make up the difference.
The question I ask, are we still "singing the song of redeeming love" (Alma 5:26)? Do we continue to practice the music the Savior has for us, and continue to "feel the music" after the concert is over, so to speak? Do we allow a "mighty change wrought in [our] hearts" (Alma 5:13) because faith in Jesus Christ helps us have a permanent change, changing the "inward man" (Romans 7:22)? Changed to the point that "His image [is] in your countenance" (Alma 5:14) and it reflects who you are on the inside out to all who see you. The "power of continuing in the goodness of God" (D&C 86:11).
I used to think this was a one time concert and I would beat myself up for every little thing. It's not. The "goodness of God" is that He let's us prepare daily. "...This life is the time for [us] to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for [us] to perform [our] labors" (Alma 34:32). Isn't that "goodness"! This life is to prepare and today we perform, and so we can't and must not "procrastinate the day of our repentance (or returning/turning our hearts and minds to God!)" (Alma 34:33). Just as the concert I heard last night was amazing, it would not have been had they procrastinated their preparation. We too can perform our labors, labors of love (see 1 Thess. 1:3), of kindness (see D&C 121:42), of serving others (see Mosiah 2:17), of "forgiving one another" (Ephesians 4:32), of doing good (see Gal. 6:10), or whatever the Spirit moves us to "do that is right" (1 Kings 11:38)! (Note: it isn't "[fitting or proper] that [we]...should be compelled in all things" (D&C 58:26) but that is a blog for a whole other day.)
Let us "continue in [His] goodness" (D&C 86:11) so that we can practice and perform that which will bring us joy so great we won't even be able to speak! Singing is really a good way to perform as our souls will swell with the words: "Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee. How Great Thou Art" (Great Christian Hymns)! The music is there and has been written, we just need to follow the Master, the One who is Good and will help us perform beyond our own abilities. God is good. This I testify.
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