“Wherefore do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness. Behold, my beloved brethren, remember the words of your God; pray unto him continually by day, and give thanks unto his holy name by night. Let your hearts rejoice.”
2 Nephi 9:51-52
I think this message is about overdoing things, or living in excess. There are bad examples of excess, such as overspending, overwork, or chasing the selfish life.
In contrast, the Lord offers a “feast” so filling, so delightful, and so like Him. He invites us to attend so he can shower us in his excessive love and compassion. We don’t always feel like we are at a feast as we walk away from friends or activities, or choose worship over entertainment, but that fits our Father in Heaven’s personality: I think he likes to surprise us with joy.
What? It’s possible to feel joy at exactly the same time we feel great loss? Incredible! We feel cherished, or carried.
Pow! All it took this time was the sunrise to fill me with a taste of how He feels for me.
Oh, wow, we didn’t expect that visit to the elderly to affect our spirits like that. We don’t want to forget this feeling.
When those moments of joy come, unexpected and generous, I am learning to open my heart and allow the feelings to rush in. I am learning to let my heart rejoice.
So, do we just make good choices and sit around and wait for joy to happen? I don’t think so. Jacob also teaches us that our conversations with God need to happen all day, and gratitude should be part of those conversations. This opens our eyes to all he does for us so we aren’t deceived into thinking that if we just do or buy more things, we will be happy. With prayers of gratitude, we learn that we have everything we need to be happy.