Grace and Trust

Grace. I have always heard 'grace' talked about and mentioned here and there. I would slide past it because I wasn't really sure what was being talked about. In the Bible Dictionary it states that grace is "divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ." Because of Christ's Atoning sacrifice, we can receive this help and strength. We can be upheld as we do good works. We can be enabled to achieve goals and eventually eternal life as we are obedient to the commands that God has given us and as we truly seek for His help and strength.
Trust in the Lord and grace go hand-in-hand. The Lord wants to bless us but if we don't trust Him enough to ask for His help and guidance, how can He do so?
One of my favorite scriptures since being out here on my mission is in The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi chapter 4. In verse 19 Nephi says, "...nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted." Throughout life we have to learn to trust the Lord. Through His grace we can come to understand more fully the plan that has been laid out for us. We can overcome trials and challenges that otherwise would be far too much for us to do on our own.
In verses 34,35 of 2 Nephi 4, Nephi says, "O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever....Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee..."
Nephi understood the principle and promise that the Lord continues to give us today: "Ask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you." As we trust in the Lord and seek His guidance and love, He will give it to us. If we are obedient and seek righteous things, He will give them to us in His own time and in His own way.
I challenge each of you to seek the Lord and His grace. Learn to recognize His hand in your life. I know that God will give to those who seek.