Young Adult Devotional Message
Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults
Sunday, November 3, 2024
What a treat to be back at BYU–Idaho, a place we know well and love so very much. When Elder Bednar was serving as the president of BYU–Idaho, our own children were young adults. Tonight, we are here with some of our young adult grandchildren! I pray the Holy Ghost will be with me and with you as I share some thoughts and feelings that have come to my mind and heart.
Several years ago, Elder Bednar and I attended a question-and-answer devotional with a large group of young adults. Recently I was perusing the hundreds of questions that were submitted and was overcome by the many questions based on fear, lack of confidence and trust, and a bit of self-doubt. I decided to focus my remarks tonight on some of these questions and share with you scriptural insights and personal experiences I hope will be helpful in your life’s journey—now and in the future.
Perhaps you can relate as you listen to these questions:
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How can I replace fear with Christlike love and faith?
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How can I stay strong when I feel so weak?
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How can I learn to trust God?
I’m sure we’ve all had these questions.
The scripture I would like to use as the basis for my remarks tonight is found in Isaiah 41:10:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Hopefully, as we study this scripture together for a few minutes, you will receive impressions that will help you replace your fear with Christlike love and faith, maintain a deeper conviction that you can stay strong when you feel so weak, and gain confidence in yourself as you learn to trust God.
To begin, let’s contemplate the first part of Isaiah 41:10:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed.”
Recall the scriptural account in Luke 24 when on the day of Jesus’s Resurrection, two of His followers are walking from Jerusalem to the village Emmaus.
On the way, a stranger joins them and asks why they are sad. They are surprised this man knows nothing about what has happened in Jerusalem and rehearse to Him the events of the past three days. They share how Jesus was falsely accused and condemned to death, was crucified, and then was miraculously resurrected. These men do not know until after they complete their seven-mile journey that they have been walking with the resurrected Lord Himself.
Why is this account important? Because I believe Jesus walks with you and me on our journey through life more than we will ever recognize. He is with us. How can we replace fear with Christlike love and faith? Remember this phrase from Isaiah:
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed.”
Now let’s review the second part of this scripture:
“For I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.”
When we were living here in Rexburg years ago, I drove to Salt Lake to be with my cousin the day after her husband underwent open-heart surgery. It was a tenuous time, and after seeing her husband I realized why she was so concerned. He was not recovering well, and his doctors decided that he needed a transfusion.
I had never seen a blood transfusion before and was surprised as the blood dripped, drop by drop, slowly down a narrow tube into his vein. As I watched, I thought of our Savior and wondered how many drops of blood He had shed for me. In a matter of hours, I witnessed the new life, energy, and strength the transfusion provided.
Somehow, and in a way I do not fully comprehend or understand, Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice gives us strength and help to do hard things. We are blessed to do things we don’t think we can do. How can we stay strong when we feel so weak? Remember this phrase from Isaiah:
“For I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee.”
Let me share some thoughts about the final phrase of Isaiah 41:10:
“I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
The right hand is often referred to as the covenant hand. Because of our covenant connection with Christ, we can have confidence that our Savior will uphold, sustain, and support us.
This brings to my mind the account in Matthew 14 where Jesus’s disciples are in a ship in the middle of the sea, being tossed about by the wind and waves. Peter sees Jesus walking on the water and asks Jesus to bid him to come to Him. Jesus honors the request, and Peter starts walking on the water towards Him. He is fine as long as he stays focused on Jesus. But when Peter notices the boisterous wind, he starts to sink and cries out for Jesus to save him. “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him.” And I truly believe that He will catch us too.
How can we learn to trust God? Remember this phrase from Isaiah:
“I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
I testify that our Heavenly Father knows us and loves us. I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He walks with us, He strengthens us, and He helps us. And we can trust that He will uphold, sustain, and support us as we remember our covenant connection with Him. I know the Holy Ghost is a revelator and brings thoughts to our minds and feelings to our hearts. I know Elder Bednar has been called of God, “by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands.” He is an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.