"God Himself shall be with them, and be their God."

Today was my last class of New Testament with Brother Griffin. Although it is relieving to finish the semester, I can't help but feel a little sad that this class is over. I was very touched by the principles found in the New Testament, and I am grateful I can continue to read and learn about it as I go throughout my life. As a final post, I felt that the following verses were appropriate:

"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4)

The time spoken of above has not yet occurred. None of us need reminding that we live in a world full of sorrow and pain. All of us have experienced it to one extent or another, and all of us will have future heartache and sadness. However, we all need to face or look in the direction we want to go. If we are constantly looking down at our past frustrations, disappointments, and mistakes our spirits start to lower, and our faith and hope decrease. This is what Satan is pushing us towards. He does not want us to forget our frailties. He wants us to wallow in our regret and pain until it consumes us. The Savior, on the other hand, pushes us towards our future. He wants us to look upward towards a future of peace, eternal love, and ultimate joy. It is through Christ that we can let go of our painful past, and move forward to a brighter future. If we face Christ we can look forward to a day where there will be no death, sorrow, crying, or pain. No matter how big or how painful a past may be, there is hope. Christ can lift us up, and make us more than we can be alone.