Daily Scripture

2 Nephi 18:5–7

5 The Lord spake also unto me again, saying:

6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;

7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks.

I love the imagery of these verses. 

This is a warning to the wicked northern kingdom of Israel shortly before their destruction. But the words apply equally to us today. 

The Lord said, you have two choices. 

1. You can choose Me and have peace. Listen to the words He uses to describe Himself: the waters of Shiloah that go softly. I can just imagine the soft, sacred pool of water referred to here, giving balm and comfort to weary souls. 

2. Or, you can reject that comfort and put your trust in worldly solutions (Rezin and Remaliah’s Son—Pekah—were the kings of Israel and Syria who thought they could withstand the pending threat of the Assyrian nation). But, the Lord said, if that’s where you put your trust, Assyria is going to overtake you like a mighty flood and you will be left desolate. 

So this imagery of water. The calming, soothing balm of the Savior or the raging, destructive force of a flood. 

The power was all the Savior’s. It still is. We can choose Him purposefully and enjoy His life-giving water, even in the midst of struggle. Or we can reject Him, and witness (and even experience) the destruction of the world (either physically or spiritually) in our own lives as the world overruns us. 

I choose the calming waters of Shiloah. It’s a promise I can rely on.

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