Power - we don't own it

Reading in Moses today - this is in the Pearl of Great Price. Moses 1. Moses talks about how he met with God and was instructed. He was strengthened so that he could be in the presence of God without having his body overwhelmed. That happened, and he returned to whatever "normal" is for us mortals.

Then something happened that always makes me wonder - after having a spiritual gift of large proportions, here comes Satan. It seems to happen often in scenarios where I am around enough to be aware of it - that when God gets an opportunity or moment with one of us, Satan's side is not far behind. Like, if you have an exceptional gift from God, it comes with a flip side of the same coin that might exceptionally expose you to the dark side.  I don't know that is the case, but I suspect there might be something there.

So before we get to the story, I noticed in verse 11 that he says "But now mine own eyes have beheld God; but not my natural, but my spiritual eyes". This means we have spiritual eyes - another subject I don't know about. If I were to be guessing, maybe the spirit - which does look like our bodies - would have eyes. Is it those eyes? I don't know. Or maybe it's just something that our spirit can do that doesn't have a cornea and lenses and focal points. Maybe it's far more refined than that. Once again, I don't know.

But when we experience something with our spiritual eyes and ears, and brains and heart, and when we stay true to that truth, we don't stray simply because somebody hands us a brochure claiming something that is not God's truth. We know from a place much more deep inside - a place that no brochure, no science, no "intelligent" pronouncement can affect. That's just man's stuff. We know much more deeply than that, and we know that we must rely on the truth we have been personally given, or be condemned for willfully disowning our gifts and disobeying what we know to be God's will.

The price for such a traitorous act to truth would have to be so heavy that I am sure God is very hesitant to give someone that gift. I think it only comes when He believes that we will be and stay true to that gift. I also think that the "line upon line" concept fits in there too - we are given what we can handle, and what we have shown we can obey, use, and manage. No more and no less - otherwise God may be condemning us by giving us too much. Or for that matter, too little. Given that he loves us perfectly, I doubt that he'd be motivated to do anything that's likely to condemn us in the long run.

But that's the side subject. I saw something else in this chapter. So here comes Satan - God has had his moment, now enters Satan. He comes in and basically says "I'm God. Worship me".

Moses says "yeah - no. You don't have any glory. You're not God". He could see the difference. I think that the ability to distinguish is also a gift from God - one of the greater gifts, and it doesn't just come to anyone. Most, I believe, lack this gift. Or perhaps they have it (the Holy Ghost's guidance), but they have failed to develop the skills to use that tool. Once again, I don't have that answer.

But in verse 18 he says basically "sorry, you're not God, and I'm not going to worship you" and "Depart hence Satan".

This of course really makes Satan angry. We've all seen angry people - now imagine what it would look like to see Satan angry. Moses begins to fear greatly. He calls upon God and received strength enough to command "Depart from me Satan"

But it doesn't go. Earthquake. Anger. The most powerful evil ever is now wanting to come down on Moses, and he hasn't obeyed Moses' command. Why? Because it was Moses doing the command, and Moses doesn't have the power by himself to do that. All he has done is make darkness quite angry.

The next time he gets it right: "In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan." Next, there's loudness, weeping and wailing and anger, and then it's out.

We don't have the power by ourselves to command Satan, and the jury's out as to what we can do with his followers. For me, they may not recognize Garth power, but when I can do it by my priesthood, given to me by the Lord, and in the name of my Savior, he must leave.

It's a reminder that we must not rely on ourselves as we traverse life. When we consecrate our actions by calling on the Lord, listening to and acting on his guidance, we allow ourselves to be far more successful than doing it alone.  May I remember this for a long time - may we all.