In The Crucible With Christ - Ellen G. White Notes 3Q 2022
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English BibleIn The Crucible With Christ - Ellen G. White Notes 3Q 2022
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English BibleEllen G.
White
Notes for the
Adult Bible Study Guide
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In the Crucible With Christ
Contents
1. The Shepherd’s Crucible (June 25–July 1)
2. The Crucibles That Come (July 2–8)
3. The Birdcage (July 9–15)
4. Seeing the Goldsmith’s Face (July 16–22)
5. Extreme Heat (July 23–29)
6. Struggling With All Energy (July 30–August 5)
7. Indestructible Hope (August 6–12)
8. Seeing the Invisible (August 13–19)
9. A Life of Praise (August 20–26)
10. Meekness in the Crucible (August 27–September 2)
11. Waiting in the Crucible (September 3–9)
12. Dying Like a Seed (September 10–16)
13. Christ in the Crucible (September 17–23)
Lesson 1
The Shepherd’s Crucible
Sabbath Afternoon, June 25
As Jesus, the great Teacher, presents His lessons to be learned from the
open book of nature, He opens the eye of their understanding to reveal the
aention that is given to objects in proportion to the rank they occupy in
the scale of creation. If the grass of the field, which today is so beautiful,
delighting the senses, [and] is tomorrow cut down and burned, receives so
great aention from God, how much more will He not bestow upon man
formed in His image. We cannot form exaggerated ideas of the value of
the human soul, and the aention given by Heaven to man. He then gives
the comforting assurance, “Fear not, lile flock; for it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Jesus is the good Shepherd. His followers are the sheep of His pasture.
A shepherd is always with his flock to defend them, to keep them from the
wolves, to hunt up the lost sheep and carry them back to the fold, to lead
them beside green pastures and beside living waters.—Li Him Up, p. 215.
Let us never forget, even when we walk in the valley, that Christ is as
much with us when we walk trustingly there as when we are on the
mountaintop. e voice said to us, “Will you not roll your burden upon
the Burden Bearer, the Lord Jesus Christ? Will you not live on the sunny
side of the cross? saying, ‘I know [Him] whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have commied unto Him
against that day.’ ‘Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now
ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of
glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls’ ” (1
Timothy 1:12; 1 Peter 1:8, 9).
. . . I must trust in Him irrespective of the changes of my emotional
atmosphere. I must show forth the praises of Him who has called me “out
of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). My heart must be
steadfast in Christ, my Saviour, beholding His love and gracious goodness.
I must not trust Him now and then, but always, that I may manifest the
results of abiding in Him who has bought me with His precious blood. We
must learn to believe the promises, to have an abiding faith so that we
may take them as the sure word of God.—Mind, Character, and Personality,
vol. 2, pp. 811, 812.
Satan is our destroyer, but Christ is our restorer. We must put faith into
constant exercise, and trust in God, whatever our feelings may be. . . . You
can say with the psalmist, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy
staff they comfort me. ou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”—Li Him Up, p. 332.
Sunday, June 26—A Guide for the Journey: The Shepherd
As the shepherd loves his sheep, and cannot rest if even one be
missing, so, in an infinitely higher degree, does God love every outcast
soul. Men may deny the claim of His love, they may wander from Him,
they may choose another master; yet they are God’s, and He longs to
recover His own. He says, “As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day
that he is among his sheep that are scaered; so will I seek out My sheep,
and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scaered in
the cloudy and dark day.” Ezekiel 34:12.
In the parable the shepherd goes out to search for one sheep—the very
least that can be numbered. So if there had been but one lost soul, Christ
would have died for that one.
e sheep that has strayed from the fold is the most helpless of all
creatures. It must be sought for by the shepherd, for it cannot find its way
back. So with the soul that has wandered away from God; he is as helpless
as the lost sheep, and unless divine love had come to his rescue he could
never find his way to God.—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 187.
However much a shepherd may love his sheep, he loves his sons and
daughters more. Jesus is not only our shepherd; He is our “everlasting
Father.” And He says, “I know Mine own, and Mine own know Me, even as
the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father.” John 10:14, 15, R. V. What
a statement is this!—the only-begoen Son, He who is in the bosom of the
Father, He whom God has declared to be “the Man that is My fellow”
(Zechariah 13:7),—the communion between Him and the eternal God is
taken to represent the communion between Christ and His children on the
earth!
Because we are the gi of His Father, and the reward of His work, Jesus
loves us. He loves us as His children. Reader, He loves you. Heaven itself
can bestow nothing greater, nothing beer. erefore trust.—e Desire of
Ages, p. 483.
While we review, not the dark chapters in our experience, but the
manifestations of God’s great mercy and unfailing love, we shall praise far
more than complain. We shall talk of the loving faithfulness of God as the
true, tender, compassionate shepherd of His flock, which He has declared
that none shall pluck out of His hand. e language of the heart will not
be selfish murmuring and repining. Praise, like clear-flowing streams, will
come from God’s truly believing ones. “Goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.” “ou shalt guide me with y counsel, and aerward receive me
to glory. Whom have I in heaven but ee? And there is none upon earth
that I desire beside ee.” Psalm 23:6; 73:24, 25.—Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 6, pp. 367, 368.
Monday, June 27: Locations on the Journey
Human beings suffer much because they step out of the path that God
has chosen for them to follow. ey walk in the sparks of the fire they
themselves have kindled, and the sure result is affliction, unrest, and
sorrow, which they might have avoided if they had submied their will to
God. . . . Whatever path God chooses for us, whatever way He ordains for
our feet, that is the only path of safety. With the eye of faith, with
childlike submission as obedient children, we must look to God, to follow
His guidance, and difficulties will clear away. e promise is, “I will
instruct thee and teach thee.”
—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 175.
If your steps are ordered by the Lord, . . . you must not expect that your
path will always be one of outward peace and prosperity. e path that
leads to eternal day is not the easiest to travel, and at times it will seem
dark and thorny. But you have the assurance that God’s everlasting arms
encircle you, to protect you from evil. He wants you to exercise earnest
faith in Him, and learn to trust Him in the shadow as well as in the
sunshine.
e follower of Christ must have faith abiding in the heart; for without
this it is impossible to please God. Faith is the hand that takes hold of
infinite help; it is the medium by which the renewed heart is made to beat
in unison with the heart of Christ.—Messages to Young People, p. 102.
Our sorrows do not spring out of the ground. In every affliction God
has a purpose to work out for our good. Every blow that destroys an idol,
every providence that weakens our hold upon earth and fastens our
affections more firmly upon God, is a blessing. e pruning may be
painful for a time, but aerward it “yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness.” We should receive with gratitude whatever will quicken
the conscience, elevate the thoughts, and ennoble the life. e fruitless
branches are cut off and cast into the fire. Let us be thankful that through
painful pruning we may retain a connection with the living Vine; for if we
suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with Him. e very trial that taxes
our faith the most severely and makes it seem as though God had forsaken
us is to lead us more closely to Him, that we may lay all our burdens at
the feet of Christ and experience the peace which He will give us in
exchange. God loves and cares for the feeblest of His creatures, and we
cannot dishonor Him more than by doubting His love to us. O let us
cultivate that living faith that will trust Him in the hour of darkness and
trial!—My Life Today, p. 93.
Tuesday, June 28—Unexpected Detour 1: The Valley
When Henry White, our eldest son, lay dying, he said, “A bed of pain is
a precious place when we have the presence of Jesus.” When we are
obliged to drink of the bier waters, turn away from the bier to the
precious and the bright. In trial grace can give the human soul assurance,
and when we stand at the deathbed and see how the Christian can bear
suffering and go through the valley of death, we gather strength and
courage to work, and we fail not, neither are we discouraged in leading
souls to Jesus.
ose who have borne the greatest sorrows are frequently the ones
who carry the greatest comfort to others, bringing sunshine wherever
they go. Such ones have been chastened and sweetened by their afflictions;
they did not lose confidence in God when trouble assailed them, but clung
closer to His protecting love. Such ones are a living proof of the tender
care of God, who makes the darkness as well as the light, and chastens us
for our good. Christ is the light of the world; in Him is no darkness.
Precious light! Let us live in that light! Bid adieu to sadness and repining.
Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice.—Selected Messages,
book 2, p. 274.
e word is: Go forward; discharge your individual duty, and leave all
consequences in the hands of God. If we move forward where Jesus leads
the way we shall see His triumph, we shall share His joy. We must share
the conflicts if we wear the crown of victory. Like Jesus, we must be made
perfect through suffering. Had Christ’s life been one of ease, then might
we safely yield to sloth. Since His life was marked with continual self-
denial, suffering, and self-sacrifice, we shall make no complaint if we are
partakers with Him. We can walk safely in the darkest path if we have the
Light of the world for our guide.—Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 28, 29.
Let us remember that the life of God’s children in this world is a
pilgrim life. We have not wisdom to plan our own lives. It is not for us to
shape our future. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a
place which he should aer receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he
went out, not knowing whither he went.” Hebrews 11:8. . . .
Too many, in planning for a brilliant future, make an uer failure. Let
God plan for you. As a lile child, trust to the guidance of Him who will
“keep the feet of His saints.” 1 Samuel 2:9. God never leads His children
otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from
the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are
fulfilling as co-workers with Him.—e Ministry of Healing, pp. 478, 479.
Wednesday, June 29—Unexpected Detour 2: The Surrounded Table
In the discharge of our duties we are neither to despise nor to fear our
enemies. . . . Puing our trust in God, we are to move steadily forward,
doing His work with unselfishness, in humble dependence upon Him,
commiing to His providence ourselves and all that concerns our present
and future, holding the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end,
remembering that we receive the blessings of heaven, not because of our
worthiness, but because of Christ’s worthiness and our acceptance,
through faith in Him, of God’s abounding grace.—Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 7, p. 108.
If we encounter difficulties, and in Christ’s strength overcome them; if
we meet enemies, and in Christ’s strength put them to flight; if we accept
responsibilities, and in Christ’s strength discharge them faithfully, we are
gaining a precious experience. We learn, as we could not otherwise have
learned, that our Saviour is a present help in every time of need.—
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 34.
Christ did not tell His disciples that their work would be easy. He
showed them the vast confederacy of evil arrayed against them. ey
would have to fight “against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places.” Ephesians 6:12. But they would not be le to fight alone. He
assured them that He would be with them; and that if they would go forth
in faith, they should move under the shield of Omnipotence. He bade them
be brave and strong; for One mightier than angels would be in their ranks
—the General of the armies of heaven. He made full provision for the
prosecution of their work and took upon Himself the responsibility of its
success. So long as they obeyed His word, and worked in connection with
Him, they could not fail. Go to all nations, He bade them. Go to the
farthest part of the habitable globe and be assured that My presence will
be with you even there. Labor in faith and confidence; for the time will
never come when I will forsake you. I will be with you always, helping
you to perform your duty, guiding, comforting, sanctifying, sustaining
you, giving you success in speaking words that shall draw the aention of
others to heaven.—e Acts of the Apostles, p. 29.
Thursday, June 30: A Certain Promise for the Journey
How shall we know for ourselves God’s goodness and His love? e
psalmist tells us—not, hear and know, read and know, or believe and
know; but—“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Instead of relying upon
the word of another, taste for yourself.
Experience is knowledge derived from experiment. Experimental
religion is what is needed now. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Some
—yes, a large number—have a theoretical knowledge of religious truth, but
have never felt the renewing power of divine grace upon their own hearts.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 221.
God has provided a balm for every wound. ere is a balm in Gilead,
there is a physician there. Will you not now as never before study the
Scriptures? Seek the Lord for wisdom in every emergency. In every trial
plead with Jesus to show you a way out of your troubles, then your eyes
will be opened to behold the remedy and to apply to your case the healing
promises that have been recorded in His Word. In this way the enemy will
find no place to lead you into mourning and unbelief, but instead you will
have faith and hope and courage in the Lord. e Holy Spirit will give you
clear discernment that you may see and appropriate every blessing that
will act as an antidote to grief, as a branch of healing to every draught of
bierness that is placed to your lips. Every draught of bierness will be
mingled with the love of Jesus, and in place of complaining of the
bierness, you will realize that Jesus’ love and grace are so mingled with
sorrow that it has been turned into subdued, holy, sanctified joy.—Selected
Messages, book 2, pp. 273, 274.
When God’s people take their eyes off the things of this world and
place them on heaven and heavenly things they will be a peculiar people,
because they will see the mercy and goodness and compassion that God
has shown to the children of men. His love will call forth a response from
them, and their lives will show to those around them that the Spirit of God
is controlling them, that they are seing their affections on things above,
not on the things of the earth.
. . . As we think of how Christ came to our world to die for fallen man,
we understand something of the price that was paid for our redemption,
and we realize that there is no true goodness or greatness apart from God.
...
We are almost home; we shall soon hear the voice of the Saviour richer
than any music, saying, Your warfare is accomplished. Enter into the joy
of thy Lord. Blessed, blessed benediction; I want to hear it from His
immortal lips. I want to praise Him; I want to honor Him that sieth on
the throne. I want my voice to echo and re-echo through the courts of
heaven. Will you be there? God help us, and fill us with all fullness and
power, and then we can taste of the joys of the world to come.—In
Heavenly Places, p. 368.
Friday, July 1: For Further Reading
Li Him Up, “Brought Back by the Shepherd,” p. 214;
Sons and Daughters of God, “God’s Goodness and Mercy Inspire
Courage,” p. 198.
Lesson 2
The Crucibles That Come
Sabbath Afternoon, July 2
Our wrong traits of character are not always visible to ourselves,
although they may be very apparent to others. But time and circumstances
will surely prove us and bring to light the gold of character or discover the
baser metal. Not one of us is known or read of all men, till the crucible of
God tests us. Every base thought, every wrong action, reveals some defect
in the character. ese rugged traits must be brought under the chisel and
hammer in God’s great workshop, and the grace of God must smooth and
polish before we can be fied for a place in the glorious temple.—
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 540, 541.
Many today think that when they begin their Christian life they will
find freedom from all want and difficulty. But everyone who takes up his
cross to follow Christ comes to a Rephidim in his experience. Life is not all
made up of green pastures and cooling streams. Disappointment overtakes
us, privations come, circumstances occur which bring us into difficult
places. As we follow in the narrow way, doing our best, as we think, we
find that grievous trials come to us. . . . Conscience stricken, we reason, if
we had walked with God, we would never have suffered so. . . .
But of old the Lord led His people to Rephidim, and He may choose to
bring us there also, in order to test our faithfulness and loyalty to Him. In
mercy to us, He does not always place us in the easiest places; for if He
did, in our self-sufficiency we would forget that the Lord is our helper in
time of necessity. But He longs to manifest Himself to us in our
emergencies, and reveal the abundant supplies that are at our disposal,
independent of our surroundings; and disappointment and trial are
permied to come upon us that we may realize our own helplessness, and
learn to call upon the Lord for aid, as a child, when hungry and thirsty,
calls upon its earthly father.—Signs of the Times, September 10, 1896.
ere are thorns in every path. All who follow the Lord’s leading must
expect to meet with disappointments, crosses, and losses. But a spirit of
true heroism will help them to overcome these. Many greatly magnify
seeming difficulties, and then begin to pity themselves and give way to
despondency. Such need to make an entire change in themselves. ey
need to discipline themselves to put forth exertion, and to overcome all
childish feelings. . . .
Every one should have an aim, an object, in life. e loins of the mind
should be girded up, and the thoughts be trained to keep to the point, as
the compass to the pole. . . . Worthy purposes should be kept constantly in
view, and every thought and act should tend to their accomplishment. Let
there ever be a fixedness of purpose to carry out that which is undertaken.
—e Faith I Live By, p. 316.
Sunday, July 3: Surprises
It was to Peter a bier lesson, and one which he learned but slowly,
that the path of Christ on earth lay through agony and humiliation. e
disciple shrank from fellowship with his Lord in suffering. But in the heat
of the furnace fire he was to learn its blessing. Long aerward, when his
active form was bowed with the burden of years and labors, he wrote,
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory
shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12, 13.
. . . [Jesus] said, “If any man will come aer Me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” e cross was associated with
the power of Rome. It was the instrument of the most cruel and
humiliating form of death. e lowest criminals were required to bear the
cross to the place of execution; and oen as it was about to be laid upon
their shoulders, they resisted with desperate violence, until they were
overpowered, and the instrument of torture was bound upon them. But
Jesus bade His followers take up the cross and bear it aer Him. To the
disciples His words, though dimly comprehended, pointed to their
submission to the most bier humiliation,—submission even unto death
for the sake of Christ. No more complete self-surrender could the
Saviour’s words have pictured.—e Desire of Ages, pp. 416, 417.
e followers of Christ know lile of the plots which Satan and his
hosts are forming against them. But He who sieth in the heavens will
overrule all these devices for the accomplishment of His deep designs. e
Lord permits His people to be subjected to the fiery ordeal of temptation,
not because He takes pleasure in their distress and affliction, but because
this process is essential to their final victory.
By God’s mighty cleaver of truth we have been taken from the quarry
of the world and brought into the workshop of the Lord to be prepared for
a place in His temple. In this work the hammer and chisel must act their
part, and then comes the polishing. Rebel not under this process of grace.
You may be a rough stone, on which much work must be done before you
are prepared for the place God designs you to fill. You need not be
surprised if with the hammer and the chisel of trial God cuts away your
defects of character. He alone can accomplish this work. And be assured
that He will not strike one useless blow.—e Faith I Live By, p. 317.
e bright and cheerful side of our religion will be represented by all
who are daily consecrated to God. We should not dishonor God by the
mournful relation of trials that appear grievous. All trials that are received
as educators will produce joy.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 365.
Monday, July 4: Crucibles of Satan
Satan . . . counseled with his angels, and with bier hatred against
God’s government told them that while he retained his power and
authority upon earth their efforts must be tenfold stronger against the
followers of Jesus. ey had prevailed nothing against Christ but must
overthrow His followers, if possible. In every generation they must seek to
ensnare those who would believe in Jesus. He related to his angels that
Jesus had given His disciples power to rebuke them and cast them out, and
to heal those whom they should afflict. en Satan’s angels went forth like
roaring lions, seeking to destroy the followers of Jesus.—Early Writings,
pp. 191, 192.
Let every soul be on the alert. e adversary is on your track. Be
vigilant, watching diligently lest some carefully concealed and masterly
snare shall take you unawares. Let the careless and indifferent beware lest
the day of the Lord come upon them as a thief in the night. Many will
wander from the path of humility, and, casting aside the yoke of Christ,
will walk in strange paths. Blinded and bewildered, they will leave the
narrow path that leads to the city of God. . . .
He who overcomes must watch; for, with worldly entanglements, error,
and superstition, Satan strives to win Christ’s followers from Him. It is not
enough that we avoid glaring dangers and perilous, inconsistent moves.
We are to keep close to the side of Christ, walking in the path of self-
denial and sacrifice. We are in an enemy’s country. He who was cast out
of heaven has come down with great power. With every conceivable
artifice and device he is seeking to take souls captive. Unless we are
constantly on guard we shall fall an easy prey to his unnumbered
deceptions.—Maranatha, p. 90.
Henceforward Christ’s followers [are] to look upon Satan as a
conquered foe. Upon the cross, Jesus was to gain the victory for them; that
victory He desired them to accept as their own. “Behold,” He said, “I give
unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power
of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
. . . e Saviour is by the side of His tempted and tried ones. With Him
there can be no such thing as failure, loss, impossibility, or defeat; we can
do all things through Him who strengthens us. When temptations and
trials come, do not wait to adjust all the difficulties, but look to Jesus, your
helper.
ere are Christians who think and speak altogether too much about
the power of Satan. ey think of their adversary, they pray about him,
they talk about him, and he looms up greater and greater in their
imagination. It is true that Satan is a powerful being; but, thank God, we
have a mighty Saviour, who cast out the evil one from heaven. Satan is
pleased when we magnify his power. Why not talk of Jesus? Why not
magnify His power and His love?—e Desire of Ages, pp. 490–493.
Tuesday, July 5: Crucibles of Sin
It is no light maer to sin against God, to set the perverse will of man
in opposition to the will of his Maker. It is for the best interest of men,
even in this world, to obey God’s commandments. And it is surely for
their eternal interest to submit to God, and be at peace with Him. . . . Of
all the creatures that God has made upon the earth, man alone is
rebellious. Yet he possesses reasoning powers to understand the claims of
the divine law and a conscience to feel the guilt of transgression and the
peace and joy of obedience. God made him a free moral agent, to obey or
disobey. e reward of everlasting life—an eternal weight of glory—is
promised to those who do God’s will, while the threatenings of His wrath
hang over all who defy His law.—e Sanctified Life, p. 76.
Heaven with its aractions is before you, an eternal weight of glory,
which you may lose or gain. Which shall it be? Your life and your
character will testify the choice you have made. I feel the more anxious
because I see so many indifferent upon the subjects of infinite importance.
ey are always busy here and there about maers of minor importance,
and the one great subject is put out of their thoughts. ey have no time
to pray, no time to watch, no time to search the Scriptures. ey are
altogether too busy to make the necessary preparation for the future life.
ey cannot devote time to perfect Christian characters and in diligence
to secure a title to heaven.
If you have life eternal, you must be earnest and work to the point.
Glorify God by choosing His way, His will. He will be your wise counselor
and your fast, unchanging friend.—Our High Calling, p. 44.
Few believe that humanity has sunk so low as it has or that it is so
thoroughly bad, so desperately opposed to God, as it is. When the mind is
not under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, Satan can mold it as he
chooses. All the rational powers which he controls he will carnalize. He is
directly opposed to God in his tastes, views, preferences, likes and dislikes,
choice of things and pursuits; there is no relish for what God loves or
approves, but a delight in those things which He despises. . . .
If Christ is abiding in the heart, He will be in all our thoughts. Our
deepest thoughts will be of Him, His love, His purity. He will fill all the
chambers of the mind. Our affections will center about Jesus. All our
hopes and expectations will be associated with Him. To live the life we
now live by faith in the Son of God, looking forward to and loving His
appearing, will be the soul’s highest joy. He will be the crown of our
rejoicing.—In Heavenly Places, p. 163.
Wednesday, July 6: Crucibles of Purification
A refining, purifying process is going on among the people of God, and
the Lord of hosts has set His hand to this work. is process is most trying
to the soul, but it is necessary in order that defilement may be removed.
Trials are essential in order that we may be brought close to our heavenly
Father, in submission to His will, that we may offer unto the Lord an
offering in righteousness. e Lord brings His children over the same
ground again and again, increasing the pressure until perfect humility fills
the mind, and the character is transformed; then they are victorious over
self, and in harmony with Christ and the Spirit of heaven. e purification
of God’s people cannot be accomplished without suffering. . . . He passes
us from one fire to another, testing our true worth. True grace is willing to
be tried. If we are loath to be searched by the Lord, our condition is one of
peril. . . .
. . . In order to bring to them a true knowledge of their condition, He
permits the fire of affliction to assail them, so that they may be purified.
e trials of life are God’s workmen to remove the impurities, infirmities,
and roughness from our characters, and fit them for the society of pure,
heavenly angels in glory. e fire will not consume us, but only remove
the dross, and we shall come forth seven times purified, bearing the
impress of the Divine.—My Life Today, p. 92.
e Lord will work to purify His church. . . .
Just how soon this refining process will begin I cannot say, but it will
not be long deferred. He whose fan is in His hand will cleanse His temple
of its moral defilement. He will thoroughly purge His floor. God has a
controversy with all who practice the least injustice; for in so doing they
reject the authority of God and imperil their interest in the atonement, the
redemption which Christ has undertaken for every son and daughter of
Adam. Will it pay to take a course abhorrent to God? Will it pay to put
upon your censers strange fire to offer before God, and say it makes no
difference?
—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 373.
Trials and obstacles are the Lord’s chosen methods of discipline and His
appointed conditions of success. . . .
e fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord
Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop. If He
saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not
spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into His
furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines. e blacksmith puts the iron and
steel into the fire that he may know what manner of metal they are.—e
Ministry of Healing, p. 471.
Thursday, July 7: Crucibles of Maturity
e apostle Paul was highly honored of God, being taken in holy vision
to the third heaven, where he looked upon scenes whose glories might not
be revealed to mortals. Yet all this did not lead him to boastfulness or self-
confidence. He realized the importance of constant watchfulness and self-
denial, and plainly declares, “I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I
myself should be a castaway.” . . .
Paul had a bodily affliction; his eyesight was bad. He thought that by
earnest prayer the difficulty might be removed. But the Lord had His own
purpose, and He said to Paul, Speak to Me no more of this maer. My
grace is sufficient. It will enable you to bear the infirmity.—Ellen G. White
Comments, in e SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1107.
When we take into our hands the management of things with which
we have to do, and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are
taking a burden which God has not given us, and are trying to bear it
without His aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that
belongs to God, and thus are really puing ourselves in His place. We may
well have anxiety and anticipate danger and loss, for it is certain to befall
us. But when we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good
we shall cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child
trusts a loving parent. en our troubles and torments will disappear, for
our will is swallowed up in the will of God.
Christ has given us no promise of help in bearing today the burdens of
tomorrow. He has said, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians
12:9); but, like the manna given in the wilderness, His grace is bestowed
daily, for the day’s need. Like the hosts of Israel in their pilgrim life, we
may find morning by morning the bread of heaven for the day’s supply.—
oughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 100, 101.
Untiring energy is required of the Christian; but he is not obliged to
work in his own strength; divine power awaits his demand. Everyone who
is sincerely striving for the victory over self will appropriate the promise,
“My grace is sufficient for thee.”
rough personal effort joined with the prayer of faith the soul is
trained. Day by day the character grows into the likeness of Christ. It may
cost a severe conflict to overcome habits which have been long indulged,
but we may triumph through the grace of Christ.
If we are true to the promptings of the Spirit of God, we shall go on
from grace to grace and from glory to glory until we shall receive the
finishing touch of immortality.—My Life Today, p. 99.
Friday, July 8: For Further Reading
at I May Know Him, “How to Resist Satan,” p. 245;
Signs of the Times, “Effectual Prayer,” November 18, 1903.
Lesson 3
The Birdcage
Sabbath Afternoon, July 9
Do not look upon trial as something strange, but as the means by
which we are to be purified and strengthened. “Count it all joy when ye
fall into divers temptations,” James admonishes; “knowing this, that the
trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2, 3).
In the future life we shall understand things that here greatly perplex
us. We shall realize how strong a helper we had and how angels of God
were commissioned to guard us as we followed the counsel of the Word of
God.
To all who receive Him, Christ will give power to become the sons of
God. He is a present help in every time of need. Let us be ashamed of our
wavering faith. ose who are overcome have only themselves to blame
for their failure to resist the enemy. All who choose can come to Christ
and find the help they need.—In Heavenly Places, p. 257.
“Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there
be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. is will require
earnest prayer and unceasing watchfulness. We must be aided by the
abiding influence of the Holy Spirit, which will aract the mind upward,
and habituate it to dwell on pure and holy things. And we must give
diligent study to the word of God. . . . “y word,” says the psalmist, “have
I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against ee.” Psalm 119:11.—
Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 460.
e Lord’s agents should have a sanctified zeal, a zeal that is wholly
under His control. Stormy times will come rapidly enough upon us, and
we should take no course of our own that will hasten them. Tribulation
will come of a character that will drive to God all who wish to be His, and
His alone. Until tested and proved in the furnace of trial, we do not know
ourselves, and it is not proper for us to measure the characters of others
and to condemn those who have not yet had the light of the third angel’s
message.
If we wish men to be convinced that the truth we believe sanctifies the
soul and transforms the character, let us not be continually charging them
with vehement accusations. In this way we shall force them to the
conclusion that the doctrine we profess cannot be the Christian doctrine,
since it does not make us kind, courteous, and respectful. Christianity is
not manifested in pugilistic accusations and condemnation.
. . . One of the greatest curses in our world (and it is seen in churches
and in society everywhere) is the love of supremacy. Men become
absorbed in seeking to secure power and popularity. is spirit has
manifested itself in the ranks of Sabbathkeepers, to our grief and shame.
But spiritual success comes only to those who have learned meekness and
lowliness in the school of Christ.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 396, 397.
Sunday, July 10: To the Promised Land via a Dead End
e children of Israel seemed to possess an evil heart of unbelief. ey
were unwilling to endure hardships in the wilderness. When they met
with difficulties in the way, they would regard them as impossibilities.
eir confidence in God would fail, and they could see nothing before
them but death. . . .
. . . e Lord was willing that they should be brought short in their
food, and that they should meet with difficulties, that their hearts should
turn to Him who had hitherto helped them, that they might believe in
him. He was ready to be to them a present help. If in their want they
would call upon him, he would manifest to them tokens of his love, and
continual care. But they seemed to be unwilling to trust the Lord any
farther than they could witness before their eyes the continual evidences
of his power. If they had possessed true faith and a firm confidence in
God, inconveniences and obstacles, or even real suffering, would have
been cheerfully borne, aer the Lord had wrought in such a wonderful
manner for their deliverance from servitude. Moreover, the Lord promised
them if they would obey his commandments, no disease should rest upon
them; for he says, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.”—Spiritual Gis, vol. 3,
pp. 249, 250.
e unbelief and murmurings of the children of Israel illustrate the
people of God now upon the earth. Many . . . do not know themselves.
God frequently proves them, and tries their faith in small things, and they
do not endure the trial any beer than did ancient Israel.
. . . When difficulties arise, or when they are brought into strait places—
when their faith and love to God is tested, they shrink from the trial, and
murmur at the process by which God has chosen to purify them. eir
love does not prove pure and perfect, to bear all things. e faith of the
people of the God of Heaven should be strong, active, and enduring—the
substance of things hoped for. en the language of such will be, Bless the
Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name; for he
hath dealt bountifully with me.—Spiritual Gis, vol. 3, pp. 251, 252.
e history of the Old Testament was recorded for the benefit of those
who should live in the generations following. . . . Both Old and New
Testament Scriptures teach the principles of obedience to the
commandments of God as the terms of securing that life which measures
with the life of God, for it is through obedience that we become partakers
of the divine nature, and learn to escape the corruptions that are in the
world through lust. erefore its maxims are to be studied, its commands
obeyed, its principles, which are more precious than gold, brought into the
daily life.—Leer 342, September 2, 1907,
Monday, July 11: Bitter Waters
By the command of God, the children of Israel were brought to
Rephidim, a place destitute of water. He who was enshrouded in the pillar
of cloud was leading them, and it was by His express command that they
were encamped at this place. God knew of the lack of water at Rephidim,
and He brought His people hither to test their faith.—Reflecting Christ, p.
353.
Moses smote the rock, but it was Christ who stood by him and caused
the water to flow from the flinty rock. e people tempted the Lord in
their thirst, and said, If God has brought us out here, why does He not
give us water, as well as bread. [is] showed criminal unbelief and made
Moses afraid that God would punish them for their wicked murmurings.
e Lord tested the faith of His people, but they did not endure the trial.
ey murmured for food and for water, and complained of Moses. Because
of their unbelief, God suffered their enemies to make war with them, that
He might manifest to His people from whence cometh their strength.—e
Story of Redemption, pp. 132, 133.
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou
shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people
may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus
17:6. . . .
e refreshing water, welling up in a parched and barren land, . . . is an
emblem of the divine grace which Christ alone can bestow, and which is
as the living water purifying, refreshing, and invigorating the soul. He in
whom Christ is abiding has within him a never-failing fountain of grace
and strength.—at I May Know Him, p. 23.
Tuesday, July 12: The Great Controversy in the Desert
Aer the fall of man, Satan declared that human beings were proved to
be incapable of keeping the law of God, and he sought to carry the
universe with him in this belief. Satan’s words appeared to be true, and
Christ came to unmask the deceiver. e Majesty of heaven undertook the
cause of man, and with the same facilities that man may obtain, withstood
the temptations of Satan as man must withstand them. is was the only
way in which fallen man could become a partaker of the divine nature. In
taking human nature, Christ was fied to understand man’s trials and
sorrows and all the temptations wherewith he is beset. Angels who were
unacquainted with sin could not sympathize with man in his peculiar
trials. Christ condescended to take man’s nature, and was tempted in all
points like as we, that He might know how to succor all who should be
tempted.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 252.
e thrones and kingdoms of the world and the glory of them were
offered to Christ if He would only bow down to Satan. Never will man be
tried with temptations as powerful as those which assailed Christ. . . .
Satan has beer success in approaching man. All this money, this gain,
this land, this power, these honors and riches, will I give thee—for what?
His conditions generally are, that integrity shall be yielded,
conscientiousness blunted, and selfishness indulged. rough devotion to
worldly interests, Satan receives all the homage he asks. e door is le
open for him to enter as he pleases, with his evil train of impatience, love
of self, pride, avarice, overreaching, and his whole catalogue of evil spirits.
Man is charmed and treacherously allured on to ruin. If we yield ourselves
to worldliness of heart and life, Satan is satisfied.
Christ’s example is before us. He overcame Satan, showing us how we
may also overcome. Christ resisted Satan with scripture. . . . Christ’s
example is before us. If the Sacred Scriptures were studied and followed,
the Christian would be fortified to meet the wily foe; but the word of God
is neglected, and disaster and defeat follow.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 45, 46.
e human family have all the help that Christ had in their conflicts
with Satan. ey need not be overcome. ey may be more than
conquerors through Him who has loved them and given His life for them.
“Ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20). And what a price! e
Son of God in His humanity wrestled with the very same fierce,
apparently overwhelming temptations that assail men—temptations to
indulgence of appetite, to presumptuous venturing where God has not led
them, and to the worship of the god of this world, to sacrifice an eternity
of bliss for the fascinating pleasures of this life. Everyone will be tempted,
but the Word declares that we shall not be tempted above our ability to
bear. We may resist and defeat the wily foe.—Selected Messages, book 1, p.
95.
Wednesday, July 13: An Enduring Legacy
Are you filled with sorrow today? Fasten your eyes on the Sun of
righteousness. Do not try to adjust all the difficulties, but turn your face to
the light, to the throne of God. What will you see there? e rainbow of
the covenant, the living promise of God. Beneath it is the mercy seat, and
whosoever avails himself of the provisions of mercy that have been made
and appropriates the merits of the life and death of Christ has in the
rainbow of the covenant a blessed assurance of acceptance with the Father
as long as the throne of God endures.
Faith is what you need. Do not let faith waver. Fight the good fight of
faith and lay hold on eternal life. It will be a severe fight, but fight it at any
cost, for the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. Put your
hand in the hand of Christ. ere are difficulties to be overcome, but
angels that excel in strength will cooperate with the people of God. Face
Zion, press your way to the city of solemnities. A glorious crown and a
robe woven in the loom of heaven await the overcomer. ough Satan
would cast his hellish shadow athwart your pathway and seek to hide
from your view the mystic ladder that stretches from earth to the throne
of God, on which ascend and descend the angels who are ministering
spirits to those who shall be heirs of salvation, yet press your way upward,
plant your feet on one round aer another, and advance to the throne of
the Infinite.—Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, pp. 462, 463.
“Ye greatly rejoice,” Peter wrote, “though now for a season, if need be,
ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love; in whom,
though now ye see Him not, . . . ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
e apostle’s words were wrien for the instruction of believers in
every age, and they have a special significance for those who live at the
time when “the end of all things is at hand.” His exhortations and
warnings, and his words of faith and courage, are needed by every soul
who would maintain his faith “steadfast unto the end.” Hebrews 3:14.
e apostle sought to teach the believers how important it is to keep
the mind from wandering to forbidden themes or from spending its
energies on trifling subjects. ose who would not fall a prey to Satan’s
devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul.—e Acts of the Apostles,
pp. 518, 519.
Thursday, July 14: Trial by Fire
We should not present our petitions to God to prove whether He will
fulfill His word, but because He will fulfill it; not to prove that He loves us,
but because He loves us. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for
he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.
But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true
faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit
of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience.
Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to
excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the
love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to
transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the
consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven
without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted.
Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the
Scriptures.—e Desire of Ages, p. 126.
In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and
varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects
which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them
opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service.
Oen He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they may be
purified.
. . . e Lord allows His chosen ones to be placed in the furnace of
affliction to prove what temper they are of and whether they can be
fashioned for His work.—e Ministry of Healing, p. 471.
Do the work that is nearest you. Do it, even though it may be amid
perils and hardships in the missionary field; but do not, I beg of you,
complain of hardships and self-sacrifices. Look at the Waldenses. See what
plans they devised that the light of the gospel might shine into benighted
minds. We should not labor with the expectation of receiving our reward
in this life, but with our eyes fixed steadfastly upon the prize at the end of
the race. Men and women are wanted now who are as true to duty as the
needle to the pole, men and women who will work without having their
way smoothed and every obstacle removed.—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 5, p. 406.
Friday, July 15: For Further Reading
e Desire of Ages, “e Temptation,” pp. 114–123;
is Day With God, “Light Out of Darkness,” p. 348.
Lesson 4
Seeing the Goldsmith’s Face
Sabbath Afternoon, July 16
“And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify
the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer
unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. . . .” is is the process, the
refining, purifying process, which is to be carried on by the Lord of hosts.
e work is most trying to the soul, but it is only through this process that
the rubbish and defiling impurities can be removed. Our trials are all
necessary to bring us close to our heavenly Father, in obedience to His
will, that we may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.—
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 541.
e conflicts of earth, in the providence of God, furnish the very
training necessary to develop characters fit for the courts of heaven. We
are to become members of the royal family, the sons of God, and “all
things work together for good” to those who love God, and submit
themselves to His will.
Our God is an ever-present help in every time of need. He is perfectly
acquainted with the most secret thoughts of our heart, with all the intents
and purposes of our souls. When we are in perplexity, even before we
open to Him our distress, He is making arrangements for our deliverance.
Our sorrow is not unnoticed. He always knows much beer than we do,
just what is necessary for the good of His children, and He leads us as we
would choose to be led if we could discern our own hearts and see our
necessities and perils, as God sees them. But finite beings seldom know
themselves. ey do not understand their own weakness. God knows
them beer than they know themselves, and He understands how to lead
them. . . .
If we will trust Him, and commit our ways to Him, He will direct our
steps in the very path that will result in our obtaining the victory over
every evil passion, and every trait of character that is unlike the character
of our divine Paern.—Our High Calling, p. 316.
Many are deceived concerning the condition of their hearts. ey do
not realize that the natural heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked. ey wrap themselves about with their own
righteousness, and are satisfied in reaching their own human standard of
character; but how fatally they fail when they do not reach the divine
standard, and of themselves they cannot meet the requirements of God.
We may measure ourselves by ourselves, we may compare ourselves
among ourselves, we may say we do as well as this one or that one, but
the question to which the judgment will call for an answer is, Do we meet
the claims of high heaven? Do we reach the divine standard? Are our
hearts in harmony with the God of heaven?—Selected Messages, book 1, pp.
320, 321.
Sunday, July 17: “In His Image”
Such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever
the result of communion with Christ. ere may be marked defects in the
character of an individual, yet when he becomes a true disciple of Christ,
the power of divine grace transforms and sanctifies him. Beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, he is changed from glory to glory, until he is
like Him whom he adores.
John was a teacher of holiness, and in his leers to the church he laid
down unerring rules for the conduct of Christians. “Every man that hath
this hope in him,” he wrote, “purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” “He
that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He
walked.” 1 John 3:3; 2:6. He taught that the Christian must be pure in heart
and life. Never should he be satisfied with an empty profession. As God is
holy in His sphere, so fallen man, through faith in Christ, is to be holy in
his sphere.—e Acts of the Apostles, p. 559.
e more you study the character of Christ, the more aractive will He
appear to you. He will become as one near you, in close companionship
with you; your affections will go out aer Him. If the mind is molded by
the objects with which it has most to do, then to think of Jesus, to talk of
Him, will enable you to become like Him in spirit and character. You will
reflect His image in that which is great and pure and spiritual. You will
have the mind of Christ, and He will send you forth to the world as His
spiritual representative.—Reflecting Christ, p. 65.
I have been shown that in the future we shall see how closely all our
trials were connected with our salvation, and how these light afflictions
worked out for us “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” . . .
. . . e years of self-denial, of privation, of trial, affliction, and
persecution that Paul endured, he called a moment. e things of the
present time were not considered worth mentioning when compared with
the eternal weight of glory that awaited them when the warfare should be
over. ese very afflictions were God’s workmen, ordained for the
perfection of Christian character. Whatever may be the circumstances of
the Christian, however dark and mysterious may be the ways of
Providence, however great his deprivation and suffering, he may look
away from them all to the unseen and the eternal. He has the blessed
assurance that all things are working for his good.—Ellen G. White
Comments, in e SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1099.
Monday, July 18: Faith Amid the Refining Fire
e Christian who loves his heavenly Father may not discern by
outward providences or visible signs any heavenly favor above that given
those with lile or no consecration. Oen he is sorely afflicted, distressed,
perplexed, and hedged in on every side. Appearances seem to be against
him. . . .
. . . Job was stripped of his earthly treasures, bereaved of his children,
and made a spectacle of loathing to his friends, but in God’s time He
showed He had not forsaken His servant. . . .
If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will
be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. ose
who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with
Him humiliation and reproach. e love they bear their Lord makes
suffering for His sake sweet.—In Heavenly Places, p. 271.
God will reward the man of faith and obedience. If this faith is brought
into the life experience, it will enable everyone who fears and loves God to
endure trials. Moses was full of confidence in God because he had
appropriating faith. He needed help, and he prayed for it, grasped it by
faith, and wove into his experience the belief that God cared for him. He
believed that God ruled his life in particular. He saw and acknowledged
God in every detail of his life and felt that he was under the eye of the All-
seeing One, who weighs motives, who tries the heart. He looked to God
and trusted in Him for strength to carry him uncorrupted through every
form of temptation. He knew that a special work had been assigned to
him, and he desired as far as possible to make that work thoroughly
successful. But he knew that he could not do this without divine aid, for
he had a perverse people to deal with. e presence of God was sufficient
to carry him through the most trying situations in which a man could be
placed.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 651, 652.
When trials come to us, let us not dwell upon the greatness of the
difficulties and feel that we cannot have joy in the Lord. It is true we will
have changes of feelings. ere will come to us times of discouragement
and depression. But shall we live by feeling or by faith? When our
brethren and friends speak unadvisedly, and cause us grief, let us not be
cast down. Let us remember that we are in a world of trial and grief, of
sorrow and disappointment. When these experiences come to us, they
should drive us to Christ. If they do not, we meet with loss. . . .
e purging is not pleasant, but let us remember that Christ came to
our world and took humanity that He might bear the afflictions that
humanity must bear and be an example of faithful endurance under every
form of trial. God wants us to realize that we are a part of the great human
family, and that we must bear its tests.—e Upward Look, p. 252.
Tuesday, July 19: Jesus’ Last Words
We cannot be ready to meet the Lord by waking when the cry is heard,
“Behold, the Bridegroom!” and then gathering up our empty lamps to have
them replenished. We cannot keep Christ apart from our lives here, and
yet be fied for His companionship in heaven. . . .
. . . rough the Holy Spirit, God’s word is a light as it becomes a
transforming power in the life of the receiver. By implanting in their
hearts the principles of His word, the Holy Spirit develops in men the
aributes of God. e light of His glory—His character—is to shine forth
in His followers. us they are to glorify God, to lighten the path to the
Bridegroom’s home, to the city of God, to the marriage supper of the
Lamb.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 413, 414.
Humanity has in itself no light. Apart from Christ we are like an
unkindled taper, like the moon when her face is turned away from the
sun; we have not a single ray of brightness to shed into the darkness of
the world. But when we turn toward the Sun of Righteousness, when we
come in touch with Christ, the whole soul is aglow with the brightness of
the divine presence.
Christ’s followers are to be more than a light in the midst of men. ey
are the light of the world. Jesus says to all who have named His name, You
have given yourselves to Me, and I have given you to the world as My
representatives. As the Father had sent Him into the world, so, He
declares, “have I also sent them into the world.” John 17:18. As Christ is
the channel for the revelation of the Father, so we are to be the channel for
the revelation of Christ. While our Saviour is the great source of
illumination, forget not, O Christian, that He is revealed through
humanity. God’s blessings are bestowed through human instrumentality.
Christ Himself came to the world as the Son of man. Humanity, united to
the divine nature, must touch humanity. e church of Christ, every
individual disciple of the Master, is heaven’s appointed channel for the
revelation of God to men. Angels of glory wait to communicate through
you heaven’s light and power to souls that are ready to perish.—oughts
From the Mount of Blessing, p. 40.
God calls upon His people to be bright lights in the world shining amid
the darkness of sin. Living the life of the Life-giver brings its reward. He
went about doing good. is, every true follower of His will do, filled with
a sacred sense of his loyalty to God and his duty to his fellow beings.
rough the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, Christians are to grow
in grace, constantly drawing nearer perfection of character.—e Upward
Look, p. 177.
Wednesday, July 20: “The Wise”
God chose from among the Gentiles a people for Himself, and gave to
them the name of Christian. is is a royal name, given to those who join
themselves to Christ. . . . Peter says: “If any man suffer as a Christian, let
him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” . . .
O that God’s people would take Him at His word, and lay hold of the
wonderful treasure of knowledge opened to them! . . .
We have before us the highest, holiest example. In thought, word, and
deed Jesus was sinless. Perfection marked all that He did. He points us to
the path that He trod, saying, “If any man will come aer me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”—Li Him Up, p. 291.
One sentence of Scripture is of more value than ten thousand of man’s
ideas or arguments. ose who refuse to follow God’s way will finally
receive the sentence, “Depart from Me.” But when we submit to God’s
way, the Lord Jesus guides our minds and fills our lips with assurance. We
may be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Receiving
Christ, we are clothed with power. An indwelling Saviour makes His
power our property. e truth becomes our stock in trade. No
unrighteousness is seen in the life. We are able to speak words in season
to those who know not the truth. Christ’s presence in the heart is a
vitalizing power, strengthening the entire being.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 71.
e day is coming, and it is close upon us, when every phase of
character will be revealed by special temptation. ose who remain true to
principle, who exercise faith to the end, will be those who have proved
true under test and trial during the previous hours of their probation, and
have formed characters aer the likeness of Christ. It will be those who
have cultivated close acquaintance with Christ, who, through his wisdom
and grace, are partakers of the divine nature. But no human being can give
to another, heart-devotion and noble qualities of mind, and supply his
deficiencies with moral power. We can each do much for each other by
giving to men a Christlike example, thus influencing them to go to Christ
for the righteousness without which they cannot stand in the judgment.
Men should prayerfully consider the important maer of character-
building, and frame their characters aer the divine model.
Our precious Redeemer is standing before the Father as our intercessor,
and is preparing mansions for all those who believe in him as their
personal Saviour.—e Youth’s Instructor, January 16, 1896.
Thursday, July 21: Character and Community
ose who are of the household of faith should never neglect the
assembling of themselves together; for this is God’s appointed means of
leading His children into unity, in order that in Christian love and
fellowship they may help, strengthen, and encourage one another. . . .
As brethren of our Lord, we are called with a holy calling to a holy,
happy life. Having entered the narrow path of obedience, let us refresh
our minds by communion with one another and with God. As we see the
day of God approaching, let us meet oen to study His Word and to
exhort one another to be faithful unto the end.—Our High Calling, p. 166.
While Paul possessed high intellectual endowments, his life revealed
the power of a rarer wisdom, which gave him quickness of insight and
sympathy of heart, and brought him into close touch with others, enabling
him to arouse their beer nature and inspire them to strive for a higher
life. His heart was filled with an earnest love for the Corinthian believers.
He longed to see them revealing an inward piety that would fortify them
against temptation. He knew that at every step in the Christian pathway
they would be opposed by the synagogue of Satan and that they would
have to engage in conflicts daily. . . .
e Corinthian believers needed a deeper experience in the things of
God. ey did not know fully what it meant to behold His glory and to be
changed from character to character. ey had seen but the first rays of
the early dawn of that glory. Paul’s desire for them was that they might be
filled with all the fullness of God, following on to know Him whose going
forth is prepared as the morning, and continuing to learn of Him until
they should come into the full noontide of a perfect gospel faith.—e Acts
of the Apostles, pp. 307, 308.
God is leading a people out from the world upon the exalted platform
of eternal truth, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. He will
discipline and fit up His people. ey will not be at variance, one believing
one thing and another having faith and views entirely opposite, each
moving independently of the body. rough the diversity of the gis and
governments that He has placed in the church, they will all come to the
unity of the faith. . . .
It is necessary that our unity today be of a character that will bear the
test of trial. We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn.
God and heaven alone are infallible. ose who think that they will never
have to give up a cherished view, never have occasion to change an
opinion, will be disappointed. As long as we hold to our own ideas and
opinions with determined persistency, we cannot have the unity for which
Christ prayed.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 29, 30.
Friday, July 22: For Further Reading
Sons and Daughters of God, “God Promises Us a New Heart of Flesh,” p.
100;
Testimonies for the Church, “Press Together,” vol. 6, p. 292.
Lesson 5
Extreme Heat
Sabbath Afternoon, July 23
God permied His beloved Son, full of grace and truth, to come from a
world of indescribable glory, to a world marred and blighted with sin,
darkened with the shadow of death and the curse. He permied Him to
leave the bosom of His love, the adoration of the angels, to suffer shame,
insult, humiliation, hatred, and death. . . .
But this great sacrifice was not made in order to create in the Father’s
heart a love for man, not to make Him willing to save. No, no! “God so
loved the world, that He gave His only-begoen Son.” John 3:16. e
Father loves us, not because of the great propitiation, but He provided the
propitiation because He loves us. Christ was the medium through which
He could pour out His infinite love upon a fallen world. “God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 2 Corinthians 5:19. God
suffered with His Son. In the agony of Gethsemane, the death of Calvary,
the heart of Infinite Love paid the price of our redemption.—Steps to
Christ, pp. 13, 14.
In the vision that came to Isaiah in the temple court, he was given a
clear view of the character of the God of Israel. “e high and loy One
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy,” had appeared before him in
great majesty; yet the prophet was made to understand the compassionate
nature of his Lord. He who dwells “in the high and holy place” dwells
“with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of
the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15. . . .
In beholding his God, the prophet, like Saul of Tarsus at the gate of
Damascus, had not only been given a view of his own unworthiness; there
had come to his humbled heart the assurance of forgiveness, full and free;
and he had arisen a changed man. He had seen his Lord. He had caught a
glimpse of the loveliness of the divine character.—Prophets and Kings, p.
314.
Men are losing their knowledge of [God’s] character. It has been
misunderstood and misinterpreted. . . . His character is to be made known.
Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light
of His goodness, mercy, and truth.
. . . ose who wait for the Bridegroom’s coming are to say to the
people, “Behold your God.” e last rays of merciful light, the last message
of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love.
e children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and
character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.
e light of the Sun of Righteousness is to shine forth in good works—
in words of truth and deeds of holiness.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 415,
416.
Sunday, July 24: Abraham in the Crucible
What is temptation?—It is the means by which those who claim to be
the children of God are tested and tried. We read that God tempted
Abraham, that He tempted the children of Israel. is means that He
permied circumstances to occur to test their faith, and lead them to look
to Him for help. God permits temptation to come to His people today, that
they may realize that He is their helper. If they draw nigh to Him when
they are tempted, He strengthens them to meet the temptation. But if they
yield to the enemy, neglecting to place themselves close to their Almighty
Helper, they are overcome. ey separate themselves from God. ey do
not give evidence that they walk in God’s way.—Ellen G. White
Comments, in e SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1094.
Abraham’s test was the most severe that could come to a human being.
Had he failed under it, he would never have been registered as the father
of the faithful. Had he deviated from God’s command, the world would
have lost an inspiring example of unquestioning faith and obedience. e
lesson was given to shine down through the ages, that we may learn that
there is nothing too precious to be given to God. It is when we look upon
every gi as the Lord’s, to be used in His service, that we secure the
heavenly benediction. Give back to God your entrusted possession, and
more will be entrusted to you. Keep your possessions to yourself, and you
will receive no reward in this life, and will lose the reward of the life to
come. . . .
. . . e offering of Isaac was designed by God to prefigure the sacrifice
of His Son. Isaac was a figure of the Son of God, who was offered a
sacrifice for the sins of the world. God desired to impress upon Abraham
the gospel of salvation to men; and in order to make the truth a reality,
and to test his faith, He required Abraham to slay his darling Isaac. All the
agony that Abraham endured during that dark and fearful trial was for the
purpose of deeply impressing upon his understanding the plan of
redemption for fallen man.—Ellen G. White Comments, in e SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1094.
Just such faith and confidence as Abraham had the messengers of God
need today. But many whom the Lord could use will not move onward,
hearing and obeying the one Voice above all others. e connection with
kindred and friends, the former habits and associations, too oen have so
great an influence upon God’s servants that He can give them but lile
instruction, can communicate to them but lile knowledge of His
purposes; and oen aer a time He sets them aside and calls others in
their place, whom He proves and tests in the same manner. e Lord
would do much more for His servants if they were wholly consecrated to
Him, esteeming His service above the ties of kindred and all other earthly
associations.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 524.
Monday, July 25: Wayward Israel
e Lord did not give Israel up without first doing all that could be
done to lead them back to their allegiance to Him. rough long, dark
years when ruler aer ruler stood up in bold defiance of Heaven and led
Israel deeper and still deeper into idolatry, God sent message aer
message to His backslidden people. rough His prophets He gave them
every opportunity to stay the tide of apostasy and to return to Him.
During the years that were to follow the rending of the kingdom, Elijah
and Elisha were to live and labor, and the tender appeals of Hosea and
Amos and Obadiah were to be heard in the land. Never was the kingdom
of Israel to be le without noble witnesses to the mighty power of God to
save from sin. Even in the darkest hours some would remain true to their
divine Ruler and in the midst of idolatry would live blameless in the sight
of a holy God. ese faithful ones were numbered among the goodly
remnant through whom the eternal purpose of Jehovah was finally to be
fulfilled.—Prophets and Kings, p. 108.
Many complain that Jesus seems a long way off. Who has placed Him a
long way o? Has it not been your own course of action that has
separated you from Jesus? He has not forsaken you, but you have forsaken
Him for other lovers. It is when you wander from His side, and are
charmed with the voice of the seducer, and fasten your affections upon
some trifling thing, that you are in danger of losing your peace and trust
and confidence in God. en it is that Satan presents to you the thought
that Jesus has forsaken you; but is it not that you have forsaken Jesus? . . .
. . . [Many have] ideas of Christ and the plan of salvation [that] are
vague, dreary, and confused. If they had, like David, set the Lord ever
before them, . . . their feet would be upon solid rock. Behold Jesus crucified
for you. Behold Him grieved with your sins; and when you pray, repent,
and earnestly desire to see Him as your sin-pardoning Redeemer, ready to
bless you, and to hear your acknowledgment of Him. Keep close to His
side.—Our High Calling, p. 30.
We need an abiding, heartfelt dependence upon the Son of God for
salvation and for all wisdom and spiritual influences. Unless there is much
more love to God and to man, and a continual dependence upon the
renewing, sanctifying grace of Christ to work a transformation of
character by a divine change in the heart, which will be manifestly seen in
word, spirit, and action, we shall fail in our work. . . .
We need increased faith, far less confidence and assurance in what we
can do, and far greater confidence in what the Lord is longing to do for us
individually, if we will prepare the way for Him. We need, O so much
more than we now have, the longing of soul for communion with God. We
need to plead most earnestly with Him. If thou shalt seek the Lord thy
God, thou shalt find Him, when thou shalt seek Him with all thy heart and
with all thy soul.—e Upward Look, p. 333.
Tuesday, July 26: Surviving Through Worship
ere is wickedness in our world, but all the suffering is not the result
of a perverted course of life. Job is brought distinctly before us as a man
whom the Lord allowed Satan to afflict. e enemy stripped him of all he
possessed; his family ties were broken; his children were taken from him.
For a time his body was covered with loathsome sores, and he suffered
greatly. His friends came to comfort him, but they tried to make him see
that he was responsible, by his sinful course, for his afflictions. But he
defended himself, and denied the charge, declaring, Miserable comforters
are ye all. By seeking to make him guilty before God, and deserving of His
punishment, they brought a grievous test upon him, and represented God
in a false light; but Job did not swerve from his loyalty, and God rewarded
His faithful servant.—Ellen G. White Comments, in e SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1140.
We have drunk at the same cup of sorrow, but it was mingled with joy
and rest and peace in Jesus. He doeth all things well. Our heavenly Father
doth not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men. . . .
is world is the scene of our trials, our griefs, our sorrows. We are
here to bear the test of God. e fire of the furnace is to kindle till our
dross is consumed and we come forth as gold purified in the furnace of
affliction. Light will come out of this darkness which to you at times
seems incomprehensible. “e Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Let this be the language of
your heart. e cloud of mercy is hovering over your head even in the
darkest hour. God’s benefits to us are as numerous as the drops of rain
falling from the clouds upon the parched earth to water and refresh it. e
mercy of God is over you. . . .
Could your eyes be opened, you would see your heavenly Father
bending over you in love; and could you hear His voice it would be in
tones of compassion to you who are prostrate with suffering and affliction.
Stand fast in His strength; there is rest for you.—In Heavenly Places, p. 272.
In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations,
in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones,
tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms,
Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and
famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and
thousands perish by the pestilence. ese visitations are to become more
and more frequent and disastrous.
e power and malice of Satan and his host might justly alarm us, were
it not that we may find shelter and deliverance in the superior power of
our Redeemer. ose who follow Christ are ever safe under His watchcare.
Angels that excel in strength are sent from heaven to protect them. e
wicked one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed
about His people.—e Faith I Live By, p. 328.
Wednesday, July 27: Surviving Through Hope
By contemplation of Christ, by conformity to the divine likeness, your
conceptions of the divine character will expand, and your mind and heart
will be elevated, refined, and ennobled. Let the youth aim high, not relying
upon human wisdom, but living day by day as seeing Him who is
invisible, doing their work as in the sight of the intelligences of heaven. . .
.
He who constantly depends upon God through simple trust and
prayerful confidence, will be surrounded by the angels of heaven. He who
lives by faith in Christ, will be strengthened and upheld, able to fight the
good fight of faith, and lay hold upon eternal life.—In Heavenly Places, p.
16.
ose who have borne the greatest sorrows are frequently the ones
who carry the greatest comfort to others, bringing sunshine wherever
they go. Such ones have been chastened and sweetened by their afflictions;
they did not lose confidence in God when trouble assailed them, but clung
closer to His protecting love. Such ones are living proof of the tender care
of God, who makes the darkness as well as the light and chastens us for
our good. Christ is the light of the world; in Him is no darkness. Precious
light! Let us live in that light! Bid adieu to sadness and repining. Rejoice in
the Lord always.
It is your privilege to receive grace from Christ that will enable you to
comfort others with the same comfort wherewith you yourselves are
comforted of God. . . . Let each try to help the next one. us you may
have a lile heaven here below, and angels of God will work through you
to make right impressions. . . . Seek to help wherever you can. Cultivate
the best dispositions that the grace of God may rest richly upon you.—
God’s Amazing Grace, p. 122.
A Christian . . . feels his weakness, he lays hold with earnest purpose
and living faith upon the strength of God, and is an overcomer. Great
becomes his peace, his joy, for it comes from the Lord, and there is
nothing more acceptable in the sight of God than the continual
humiliation of the soul before Him. ese evidences are unmistakable
proofs that the Lord has touched hearts by His Holy Spirit. More
wonderful than miracles of physical healing is the miracle wrought in the
child of God in wrestling with natural defects and overcoming them. e
universe of God looks upon him with joy far greater than on any splendid
outward display. e inward character is molded aer the divine Paern. .
..
. . . is is done only through the light reflected from the cross of
Calvary. e law is complete and full in the great plan of salvation, only as
it is presented in the light shining from the crucified and risen Saviour.
is can be only spiritually discerned. It kindles in the heart of the
beholder ardent faith, hope, and joy that Christ is his righteousness. is
joy is only for those who love and keep the words of Jesus, which are the
words of God.—Li Him Up, p. 150.
Thursday, July 28: Extreme Heat
As the shepherd leads his flock over the rocky hills, through forest and
wild ravines, to grassy nooks by the riverside; as he watches them on the
mountains through the lonely night, shielding from robbers, caring
tenderly for the sickly and feeble, his life comes to be one with theirs. A
strong and tender aachment unites him to the objects of his care.
However large the flock, the shepherd knows every sheep. Every one has
its name, and responds to the name at the shepherd’s call.
As an earthly shepherd knows his sheep, so does the divine shepherd
know His flock that are scaered throughout the world. “Ye my flock, the
flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.”
Jesus says, “I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” “I have graven
thee upon the palms of my hands” (Ezekiel 34:31; Isaiah 43:1; 49:16).—Li
Him Up, p. 203.
When trouble comes upon us, how oen we are like Peter! We look
upon the waves, instead of keeping our eyes fixed upon the Saviour. Our
footsteps slide, and the proud waters go over our souls. Jesus did not bid
Peter come to Him that he should perish; He does not call us to follow
Him, and then forsake us. “Fear not,” He says. . . . “When thou passest
through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall
not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be
burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy
God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isaiah 43:1-3.
Jesus read the character of His disciples. He knew how sorely their
faith was to be tried. In this incident on the sea He desired to reveal to
Peter his own weakness,—to show that his safety was in constant
dependence upon divine power. Amid the storms of temptation he could
walk safely only as in uer self-distrust he should rely upon the Saviour. It
was on the point where he thought himself strong that Peter was weak;
and not until he discerned his weakness could he realize his need of
dependence upon Christ. Had he learned the lesson that Jesus sought to
teach him in that experience on the sea, he would not have failed when
the great test came upon him.
Day by day God instructs His children. By the circumstances of the
daily life He is preparing them to act their part upon that wider stage to
which His providence has appointed them. It is the issue of the daily test
that determines their victory or defeat in life’s great crisis.
ose who fail to realize their constant dependence upon God will be
overcome by temptation. We may now suppose that our feet stand secure,
and that we shall never be moved. We may say with confidence, “I know
in whom I have believed; nothing can shake my faith in God and in His
word.” . . . Only through realizing our own weakness and looking
steadfastly unto Jesus can we walk securely.
—e Desire of Ages, p. 382.
Friday, July 29: For Further Reading
My Life Today, “In Christ ere Is Strength,” p. 316;
Sons and Daughters of God, “We Are to Labor With Love,” p. 268.
Lesson 6
Struggling With All Energy
Sabbath Afternoon, July 30
In order that God might qualify him for his great work as the keeper of
the sacred oracles, Abraham must be separated from the associations of
his early life. e influence of kindred and friends would interfere with the
training which the Lord purposed to give His servant. . . .
It was no light test that was thus brought upon Abraham, no small
sacrifice that was required of him. ere were strong ties to bind him to
his country, his kindred, and his home. But he did not hesitate to obey the
call. . . .
Many are still tested as was Abraham. ey do not hear the voice of
God speaking directly from the heavens, but He calls them by the
teachings of His word and the events of His providence. ey may be
required to abandon a career that promises wealth and honor, to leave
congenial and profitable associations and separate from kindred, to enter
upon what appears to be only a path of self-denial, hardship, and sacrifice.
. . . [He] leads them to feel the need of His help, and to depend upon Him
alone, that He may reveal Himself to them.
—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 126, 127.
Why is it that religion occupies so lile of our aention, while the
world has the strength of brain, bone, and muscle? It is because the whole
force of our being is bent in that direction. We have trained ourselves to
engage with earnestness and power in worldly business, until it is easy for
the mind to take that turn. is is why Christians find a religious life so
hard and a worldly life so easy. e faculties have been trained to exert
their force in that direction. In religious life there has been an assent to
the truths of God’s word, but not a practical illustration of them in the life.
To cultivate religious thoughts and devotional feelings is not made a
part of education. ese should influence and control the entire being. e
habit of doing right is wanting. ere is spasmodic action under favorable
influences, but to think naturally and readily upon divine things is not the
ruling principle of the mind.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 264.
It is by close, testing trials that God disciplines His servants. He sees
that some have powers which may be used in the advancement of His
work, and He puts these persons upon trial; in His providence He brings
them into positions that test their character and reveal defects and
weaknesses that have been hidden from their own knowledge. He gives
them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His
service. He shows them their own weakness, and teaches them to lean
upon Him; for He is their only help and safeguard. . . . When God calls
them to action, they are ready, and heavenly angels can unite with them in
the work to be accomplished on the earth.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp.
129, 130.
Sunday, July 31: The Spirit of Truth
e Spirit came upon the waiting, praying disciples with a fullness that
reached every heart. e Infinite One revealed Himself in power to His
church. It was as if for ages this influence had been held in restraint, and
now Heaven rejoiced in being able to pour out upon the church the riches
of the Spirit’s grace. And under the influence of the Spirit, words of
penitence and confession mingled with songs of praise for sins forgiven.
Words of thanksgiving and of prophecy were heard. All heaven bent low
to behold and to adore the wisdom of matchless, incomprehensible love.
Lost in wonder, the apostles exclaimed, “Herein is love.” ey grasped the
imparted gi. And what followed? e sword of the Spirit, newly edged
with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through
unbelief.—e Acts of the Apostles, p. 38.
e Spirit is given as a regenerating agency, to make effectual the
salvation wrought by the death of our Redeemer. e Spirit is constantly
seeking to draw the aention of men to the great offering that was made
on the cross of Calvary, to unfold to the world the love of God, and to
open to the convicted soul the precious things of the Scriptures.
Having brought conviction of sin, and presented before the mind the
standard of righteousness, the Holy Spirit withdraws the affections from
the things of this earth and fills the soul with a desire for holiness. “He
will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13), the Saviour declared. If men are
willing to be molded, there will be brought about a sanctification of the
whole being. e Spirit will take the things of God and stamp them on the
soul. By His power the way of life will be made so plain that none need
err therein.—e Acts of the Apostles, pp. 52, 53.
As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in
our ranks. Some who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare will in
times of real peril make it manifest that they have not built upon the solid
rock; they will yield to temptation. ose who have had great light and
precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext
or another, go out from us. Not having received the love of the truth, they
will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give heed to
seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and will depart from the faith. But,
on the other hand, when the storm of persecution really breaks upon us,
the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts
will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the
fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. e people of God will
draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In view of the
common peril, strife for supremacy will cease; there will be no disputing
as to who shall be accounted greatest.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6,
pp. 400, 401.
Monday, August 1: The Divine-Human Combination
e agency of the Spirit of God does not remove from us the necessity
of exercising our faculties and talents, but teaches us how to use every
power to the glory of God. e human faculties, when under the special
direction of the grace of God, are capable of being used to the best
purpose on earth. Ignorance does not increase the humility or spirituality
of any professed follower of Christ. e truths of the divine word can be
best appreciated by an intellectual Christian. Christ can be best glorified
by those who serve Him intelligently. e great object of education is to
enable us to use the power which God has given us in such a manner as to
represent the religion of the Bible and promote the glory of God.
We are indebted to Him who gave us existence, for the talents that
have been entrusted to us, and it is a duty we owe our Creator to cultivate
and improve these talents. Education will discipline the mind, develop its
powers, and understandingly direct them, that we may be useful in
advancing the glory of God.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students,
pp. 361, 362.
I saw evil angels contending for souls, and angels of God resisting
them. e conflict was severe. Evil angels were crowding about them,
corrupting the atmosphere with their poisonous influence, and stupefying
their sensibilities. Holy angels were anxiously watching these souls, and
were waiting to drive back Satan’s host. But it is not the work of good
angels to control minds against the will of the individuals. If they yield to
the enemy, and make no effort to resist him, then the angels of God can do
but lile more than hold in check the host of Satan, that they should not
destroy, until further light be given to those in peril, to move them to
arouse and look to heaven for help. Jesus will not commission holy angels
to extricate those who make no effort to help themselves.
If Satan sees he is in danger of losing one soul, he will exert himself to
the utmost to keep that one. And when the individual is aroused to his
danger, and, with distress and fervor, looks to Jesus for strength, Satan
fears he shall lose a captive, and he calls a re-enforcement of his angels to
hedge in the poor soul, and form a wall of darkness around him, that
heaven’s light may not reach him. But if the one in danger perseveres, and
in helplessness and weakness casts himself upon the merits of the blood of
Christ, Jesus listens to the earnest prayer of faith, and sends a re-
enforcement of those angels which excel in strength to deliver him.
. . . And when angels, all-powerful, clothed with the armory of heaven,
come to the help of the fainting, pursued soul, Satan and his host fall back,
well knowing that their bale is lost.—Messages to Young People, pp. 52, 53.
Tuesday, August 2: The Disciplined Will
We have each of us an individual work to do, to gird up the loins of our
minds, to be sober, to watch unto prayer. e mind must be firmly
controlled to dwell upon subjects that will strengthen the moral powers. . .
. e thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean, if
the words of the mouth are to be words acceptable to Heaven and helpful
to your associates.
e mind should be guarded carefully. Nothing should be allowed to
enter that will harm or destroy its healthy vigor. But to prevent this, it
should be preoccupied with good seed, which, springing to life, will bring
forth fruit-bearing branches. . . .
[He] who finds joy and happiness in reading the Word of God and in
the hour of prayer is constantly refreshed by dras from the Fountain of
life. He will aain a height of moral excellence and a breadth of thought of
which others cannot conceive. Communion with God encourages good
thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, and loy purposes
of action. ose who thus connect their souls with God are acknowledged
by Him as His sons and daughters. ey are constantly reaching higher
and still higher, obtaining clear views of God and of eternity, until the
Lord makes them channels of light and wisdom to the world.—My Life
Today, p. 83.
Few realize that it is a duty to exercise control over the thoughts and
imaginations. It is difficult to keep the undisciplined mind fixed upon
profitable subjects. But if the thoughts are not properly employed, religion
cannot flourish in the soul. e mind must be preoccupied with sacred and
eternal things, or it will cherish trifling and superficial thoughts. Both the
intellectual and the moral powers must be disciplined, and they will
strengthen and improve by exercise.
In order to understand this maer aright, we must remember that our
hearts are naturally depraved, and we are unable of ourselves to pursue a
right course. It is only by the grace of God, combined with the most
earnest effort on our part, that we can gain the victory.—God’s Amazing
Grace, p. 327.
For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded:
therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be
ashamed. Isaiah 50:7.
Strength of character consists of two things—power of will and power
of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for
strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his
passions is a weak man. e real greatness and nobility of the man is
measured by the power of the feelings that he subdues, not by the power
of the feelings that subdue him. e strongest man is he, who, while
sensitive to abuse, will yet restrain passion and forgive his enemies. Such
men are true heroes.—e Faith I Live By, p. 316.
Wednesday, August 3: Radical Commitment
e Christian life is a warfare. e apostle Paul speaks of wrestling
against principalities and powers as he fought the good fight of faith.
Again, he declares: “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against
sin.” Ah, no. Today sin is cherished and excused. e sharp sword of the
Spirit, the word of God, does not cut to the soul. Has religion changed?
Has Satan’s enmity to God abated? A religious life once presented
difficulties and demanded self-denial. All is made very easy now. And why
is this? e professed people of God have compromised with the power of
darkness.
ere must be a revival of the strait testimony. e path to heaven is no
smoother now than in the days of our Saviour. All our sins must be put
away. Every darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut
off. e right eye or the right hand must be sacrificed if it cause us to
offend. Are we willing to renounce our own wisdom and to receive the
kingdom of heaven as a lile child? Are we willing to part with self-
righteousness? Are we willing to give up our chosen worldly associates?
Are we willing to sacrifice the approbation of men? e prize of eternal
life is of infinite value. Will we put forth efforts and make sacrifices
proportionate to the worth of the object to be aained?—Testimonies for
the Church, vol. 5, p. 222.
It will require a sacrifice to give yourself to God; but it is a sacrifice of
the lower for the higher, the earthly for the spiritual, the perishable for the
eternal. God does not design that our will should be destroyed, for it is
only through its exercise that we can accomplish what He would have us
do. Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we may receive it again, purified
and refined, and so linked in sympathy with the Divine that He can pour
through us the tides of His love and power. However bier and painful
this surrender may appear to the willful, wayward heart, yet “it is
profitable for thee.”
Not until he fell crippled and helpless upon the breast of the covenant
angel did Jacob know the victory of conquering faith and receive the title
of a prince with God. . . . So the Captain of our salvation was made
“perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10), and the children of faith “out
of weakness were made strong,” and “turned to flight the armies of the
aliens” (Hebrews 11:34).—oughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 62.
What kind of faith is it that overcomes the world? It is that faith which
makes Christ your own personal Saviour—that faith which, recognizing
your helplessness, your uer inability to save yourself, takes hold of the
Helper who is mighty to save, as your only hope. It is faith that will not be
discouraged, that hears the voice of Christ saying, “Be of good cheer, I
have overcome the world, and My divine strength is yours.” It is the faith
that hears Him say, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world.”—Reflecting Christ, p. 21.
Thursday, August 4: The Need to Persevere
e warfare which we are to wage is the “good fight of faith.” “I also
labor,” said the apostle Paul, “striving according to His working, which
worketh in me mightily.” Colossians 1:29.
Jacob, in the great crisis of his life, turned aside to pray. He was filled
with one overmastering purpose—to seek for transformation of character.
But while he was pleading with God, an enemy, as he supposed, placed his
hand upon him, and all night he wrestled for his life. But the purpose of
his soul was not changed by peril of life itself. When his strength was
nearly spent, the Angel put forth His divine power, and at His touch Jacob
knew Him with whom he had been contending. Wounded and helpless, he
fell upon the Saviour’s breast, pleading for a blessing. He would not be
turned aside nor cease his intercession, and Christ granted the petition of
this helpless, penitent soul, according to His promise, “Let him take hold
of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace
with Me.” Isaiah 27:5. Jacob pleaded with determined spirit, “I will not let
ee go, except ou bless me.” Genesis 32:26. is spirit of persistence
was inspired by Him who wrestled with the patriarch. It was He who gave
him the victory, and He changed his name from Jacob to Israel, saying, “As
a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”
Genesis 32:28. at for which Jacob had vainly wrestled in his own
strength was won through self-surrender and steadfast faith. “is is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” 1 John 5:4.—oughts
From the Mount of Blessing, p. 144.
God requires [all] to possess moral courage, steadiness of purpose,
fortitude and perseverance, minds that cannot take the assertions of
another, but which will investigate for themselves before receiving or
rejecting, that will study and weigh evidence, and take it to the Lord in
prayer. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all
men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Now the
condition: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. . . .” is petition
for wisdom is not to be a meaningless prayer, out of mind as soon as
finished. It is a prayer that expresses the strong, earnest desire of the
heart, arising from a conscious lack of wisdom to determine the will of
God.
Aer the prayer is made, if the answer is not realized immediately, do
not weary of waiting and become unstable. Waver not. Cling to the
promise, “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” Like the
importunate widow, urge your case, being firm in your purpose. Is the
object important and of great consequence to you? It certainly is. en
waver not, for your faith may be tried. If the thing you desire is valuable,
it is worthy of a strong, earnest effort. You have the promise; watch and
pray. Be steadfast and the prayer will be answered; for is it not God who
has promised? If it costs you something to obtain it you will prize it the
more when obtained. You are plainly told that if you waver you need not
think that you shall receive anything of the Lord. A caution is here given
not to become weary, but to rest firmly upon the promise. If you ask, He
will give you liberally and upbraid not.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2,
pp. 130, 131.
Friday, August 5: For Further Reading
e Upward Look, “Follow Christ’s Example of Sacrifice,” p. 235;
Patriarchs and Prophets, “e Night of Wrestling,” pp. 195–203.
Lesson 7
Indestructible Hope
Sabbath Afternoon, August 6
When trials come, remember that they are sent for your good. . . .
When trials and tribulations come to you know that they are sent in order
that you may receive from the Lord of glory renewed strength and
increased humility, so that He may safely bless and support and uphold
you. In faith and with the hope that “maketh not ashamed,” lay hold of the
promises of God. . . .
e Lord designs that His people shall be happy, and He opens before
us one source of consolation aer another, that we may be filled with joy
and peace in the midst of our present experience. We are not to wait until
we shall get into heaven for brightness and comfort and joy. We are to
have them right here in this life. . . . We miss very much because we do
not grasp the blessings that may be ours in our afflictions. All our
sufferings and sorrows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and
griefs, all our persecutions and privations, and in short all things, work
together for our good. All experiences and circumstances are God’s
workmen whereby good is brought to us. Let us look at the light behind
the cloud.—My Life Today, p. 185.
Now when you can no longer be active, and infirmities press upon you,
all that God requires of you is to trust Him. Commit the keeping of your
soul to Him as unto a faithful Creator. His mercies are sure, His covenant
is everlasting. Happy is the man whose hope is in the Lord his God, who
keepeth truth forever. Let your mind grasp the promises and hold to them.
If you cannot call to mind readily the rich assurance contained in the
precious promises, listen to them from the lips of another. What fullness,
what love and assurance are found in these words from the lips of God
Himself, proclaiming His love, His pity and interest in the children of His
care:
“e Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6, 7).—Selected Messages,
book 2, p. 231.
e Bible reveals Christ to us as the Good Shepherd, seeking with
unwearied feet for the lost sheep. By methods peculiarly His own He
helped all who were in need of help. With tender, courteous grace He
ministered to sin-sick souls, bringing healing and strength. . . .
e Saviour’s entire life was characterized by disinterested benevolence
and the beauty of holiness. He is our paern of goodness. From the
beginning of His ministry, men began to comprehend more clearly the
character of God. He carried out His teachings in His own life. He showed
consistency without obstinacy, benevolence without weakness, tenderness
and sympathy without sentimentalism. He was highly social, yet He
possessed a reserve that discouraged any familiarity. His temperance
never led to bigotry or austerity. He was not conformed to the world, yet
He was aentive to the wants of the least among men.—Counsels to
Parents, Teachers, and Students, pp. 261, 262.
Sunday, August 7: The Big Picture
Viewing the situation of the faithful in his day, [Habakkuk] expressed
the burden of his heart in the inquiry: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and
ou wilt not hear! even cry out unto ee of violence, and ou wilt not
save! Why dost ou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold
grievance? . . .” Habakkuk 1:2–4.
God answered the cry of His loyal children. rough His chosen
mouthpiece He revealed His determination to bring chastisement upon
the nation that had turned from Him to serve the gods of the heathen.
Within the lifetime of some who were even then making inquiry
regarding the future, He would miraculously shape the affairs of the ruling
nations of earth and bring the Babylonians into the ascendancy. . . . e
princes of Judah and the fairest of the people were to be carried captive to
Babylon; the Judean cities and villages and the cultivated fields were to be
laid waste; nothing was to be spared.
Confident that even in this terrible judgment the purpose of God for
His people would in some way be fulfilled, Habakkuk bowed in
submission to the revealed will of Jehovah. . . . And then, his faith
reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediate future, and
laying fast hold on the precious promises that reveal God’s love for His
trusting children, the prophet added, “We shall not die.” Verse 12. With
this declaration of faith he rested his case, and that of every believing
Israelite, in the hands of a compassionate God.—Prophets and Kings, pp.
385, 386.
e faith that strengthened Habakkuk and all the holy and the just in
those days of deep trial was the same faith that sustains God’s people
today. In the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding, the
Christian believer may keep his soul stayed upon the source of all light
and power. Day by day, through faith in God, his hope and courage may
be renewed. “e just shall live by his faith.” In the service of God there
need be no despondency, no wavering, no fear. e Lord will more than
fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him. He will
give them the wisdom their varied necessities demand.—Prophets and
Kings, pp. 386, 387.
e time of waiting may seem long, the soul may be oppressed by
discouraging circumstances, many in whom confidence has been placed
may fall by the way; but with the prophet who endeavored to encourage
Judah in a time of unparalleled apostasy, let us confidently declare, “e
Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.”
Habakkuk 2:20. Let us ever hold in remembrance the cheering message,
“e vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and
not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not
tarry.” Verse 3.—Prophets and Kings, pp. 387, 388.
Monday, August 8: Who Our Father Is
It was generally believed by the Jews that sin is punished in this life.
Every affliction was regarded as the penalty of some wrongdoing, either of
the sufferer himself or of his parents. It is true that all suffering results
from the transgression of God’s law, but this truth had become perverted.
Satan, the author of sin and all its results, had led men to look upon
disease and death as proceeding from God,—as punishment arbitrarily
inflicted on account of sin. Hence one upon whom some great affliction or
calamity had fallen had the additional burden of being regarded as a great
sinner. . . .
God had given a lesson designed to prevent this. e history of Job had
shown that suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for
purposes of mercy. But Israel did not understand the lesson. e same
error for which God had reproved the friends of Job was repeated by the
Jews in their rejection of Christ.
e belief of the Jews in regard to the relation of sin and suffering was
held by Christ’s disciples. While Jesus corrected their error, He did not
explain the cause of the man’s affliction, but told them what would be the
result. Because of it the works of God would be made manifest.—e
Desire of Ages, p. 471.
True holiness and humility are inseparable. e nearer the soul comes
to God, the more completely is it humbled and subdued. When Job heard
the voice of the Lord out of the whirlwind, he exclaimed, “I abhor myself,
and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). It was when Isaiah saw the glory
of the Lord and heard the cherubim crying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord
of hosts,” that he cried out, “Woe is me! for I am undone” (Isaiah 6:3, 5). . . .
He who catches a glimpse of the matchless love of Christ counts all
other things as loss, and looks upon Him as the chiefest among ten
thousand and as the one altogether lovely. As seraphim and cherubim look
upon Christ, they cover their faces with their wings. eir own perfection
and beauty are not displayed in the presence and glory of their Lord. en
how improper it is for men to exalt themselves! Let them rather be clothed
with humility, cease all strife for supremacy, and learn what it means to be
meek and lowly of heart. He who contemplates God’s glory and infinite
love, will have humble views of himself, but by beholding the character of
God, he will be changed into His divine image.—at I May Know Him, p.
175.
Tuesday, August 9: Our Father’s Presence
Many have confused ideas as to what constitutes faith, and they live
altogether below their privileges. ey confuse feeling and faith, and are
continually distressed and perplexed in mind; for Satan takes all possible
advantage of their ignorance and inexperience. . . . We are to believe that
we are chosen of God, to be saved by the exercise of faith, through the
grace of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit; and we are to praise and
glorify God for such a marvelous manifestation of His unmerited favor. It
is the love of God that draws the soul to Christ, to be graciously received,
and presented to the Father. . . .
e Father sets His love upon His elect people who live in the midst of
men. ese are the people whom Christ has redeemed by the price of His
own blood; and because they respond to the drawing of Christ, through
the sovereign mercy of God, they are elected to be saved as His obedient
children. Upon them is manifested the free grace of God, the love
wherewith He hath loved them. Everyone who will humble himself as a
lile child, who will receive and obey the word of God with a child’s
simplicity, will be among the elect of God.—Our High Calling, p. 77.
With the beloved John I call upon you to “behold, what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of
God.” What love, what matchless love, that, sinners and aliens as we are,
we may be brought back to God and adopted into His family! We may
address Him by the endearing name, “Our Father,” which is a sign of our
affection for Him and a pledge of His tender regard and relationship to us.
...
All the paternal love which has come down from generation to
generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of
tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to
the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of
God. Tongue cannot uer it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate
upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in
order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that
God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and
compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond.
You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the
length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in
giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 739, 740.
Wednesday, August 10: Our Father’s Plans for Us
Let us be hopeful and courageous. . . . [God] knows our every necessity.
He has all power. He can bestow upon His servants the measure of
efficiency that their need demands. His infinite love and compassion never
weary. With the majesty of omnipotence He unites the gentleness and
care of a tender shepherd. We need have no fear that He will not fulfill His
promises. He is eternal truth. Never will He change the covenant that He
has made with those that love Him. His promises to His church stand fast
forever. He will make her an eternal excellence, a joy of many generations.
Study the forty-first chapter of Isaiah, and strive to understand it in all
its significance. . . .
He who has chosen Christ has joined himself to a power that no array
of human wisdom or strength can overthrow. “Fear thou not; for I am with
thee,” He declares; “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.” “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying
unto thee Fear not; I will help thee.” Verses 10, 13.—Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 8, pp. 38, 39.
God is Himself the source of all mercy. His name is “merciful and
gracious.” Exodus 34:6. He does not treat us according to our desert. He
does not ask if we are worthy of His love, but He pours upon us the riches
of His love, to make us worthy. He is not vindictive. He seeks not to
punish, but to redeem. Even the severity which He manifests through His
providences is manifested for the salvation of the wayward. He yearns
with intense desire to relieve the woes of men and to apply His balsam to
their wounds.—oughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 22.
e purpose which God seeks to accomplish through His people today
is the same that He desired to accomplish through Israel when He brought
them forth out of Egypt. By beholding the goodness, the mercy, the
justice, and the love of God revealed in the church, the world is to have a
representation of His character. And when the law of God is thus
exemplified in the life, even the world will recognize the superiority of
those who love and fear and serve God above every other people on the
earth. e Lord has His eye upon every one of His people; He has His
plans concerning each. It is His purpose that those who practice His holy
precepts shall be a distinguished people. To the people of God today as
well as to ancient Israel belong the words wrien by Moses through the
Spirit of Inspiration: “ou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the
Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above
all people that are upon the face of the earth.” Deuteronomy 7:6. . . .
Even these words fail of expressing the greatness and the glory of
God’s purpose to be accomplished through His people. Not to this world
only but to the universe are we to make manifest the principles of His
kingdom.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 12, 13.
Thursday, August 11: Our Father’s Discipline
ere is a lesson for us in [the] experience of Paul, for it reveals God’s
way of working. e Lord can bring victory out of that which may seem
to us discomfiture and defeat. We are in danger of forgeing God, of
looking at the things which are seen, instead of beholding by the eye of
faith the things which are unseen. When misfortune or calamity comes,
we are ready to charge God with neglect or cruelty. If He sees fit to cut off
our usefulness in some line, we mourn, not stopping to think that thus
God may be working for our good. We need to learn that chastisement is a
part of His great plan and that under the rod of affliction the Christian
may sometimes do more for the Master than when engaged in active
service.—e Acts of the Apostles, p. 481.
Many who profess the name of Christ and claim to be looking for His
speedy coming, know not what it is to suffer for Christ’s sake. eir hearts
are not subdued by grace, and they are not dead to self, as is oen shown
in various ways. At the same time they are talking of having trials. But the
principal cause of their trials is an unsubdued heart, which makes self so
sensitive that it is oen crossed. If such could realize what it is to be a
humble follower of Christ, a true Christian, they would begin to work in
good earnest and begin right. ey would first die to self, then be instant
in prayer, and check every passion of the heart. Give up your self-
confidence and self-sufficiency, brethren, and follow the meek Paern.
Ever keep Jesus in your mind that He is your example and you must tread
in His footsteps. Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame. He endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself. He for
our sins was once the meek, slain lamb, wounded, bruised, smien, and
afflicted.
Let us, then, cheerfully suffer something for Jesus’ sake, crucify self
daily, and be partakers of Christ’s sufferings here, that we may be made
partakers with Him of His glory, and be crowned with glory, honor,
immortality, and eternal life.—Early Writings, pp. 113, 114.
If we hope to wear the crown, we must expect to bear the cross. Our
greatest trials will come from those who profess godliness. It was so with
the world’s Redeemer; it will be so with His followers. . . . ose who are
in earnest to win the crown of eternal life need not be surprised or
disheartened because at every step toward the heavenly Canaan they meet
with obstacles and encounter trials. . . .
e Saviour knows what is best. Faith grows by conflict with doubt and
difficulty and trial. Virtue gathers strength by resistance to temptation. . . .
John in holy vision beholds the faithful souls that come up out of great
tribulation, surrounding the throne of God, clad in white robes, and
crowned with immortal glory. . . . eir faithfulness to God and to His
Word stands revealed, and Heaven’s high honors are awarded them as
conquerors.—Our High Calling, p. 361.
Friday, August 12: For Further Reading
is Day With God, “Rejoice in the Lord,” p. 156;
Education, “e School of the Hereaer,” pp. 301–309.
Lesson 8
Seeing the Invisible
Sabbath Afternoon, August 13
It is faith that enables us to look beyond the present, with its burdens
and cares, to the great hereaer, where all that now perplexes us shall be
made plain. Faith sees Jesus standing as our Mediator at the right hand of
God. Faith beholds the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those
who love Him. Faith sees the robe and crown prepared for the overcomer,
and hears the song of the redeemed. . . .
Faith is not feeling. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen.” [Hebrews 11:1.] True faith is in no sense
allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against
presumption, for presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith.—Gospel
Workers, pp. 259, 260.
Many have their present wants supplied; yet they will not trust the
Lord for the future. ey manifest unbelief and sink into despondency and
gloom at anticipated want. Some are in continual trouble lest they shall
come to want and their children suffer. When difficulties arise or when
they are brought into strait places—when their faith and their love to God
are tested—they shrink from the trial and murmur at the process by which
God has chosen to purify them. eir love does not prove pure and
perfect, to bear all things.
e faith of the people of the God of heaven should be strong, active,
and enduring—the substance of things hoped for. en the language of
such will be, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless
His holy name,” for He hath dealt bountifully with me.—e Story of
Redemption, pp. 128, 129.
Jesus does not call on us to follow Him, and then forsake us. If we
surrender our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for
which God has not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we
have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure
Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a
sympathizing Friend. If in our ignorance we make missteps, Christ does
not leave us. His voice, clear and distinct, is heard, saying, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life.” [John 14:6.] “He shall deliver the needy when he
crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.” [Psalm 72:12.]
“ou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on ee:
because he trusteth in ee.” [Isaiah 26:3.] e arm of Omnipotence is
outstretched to lead us onward and still onward. Go forward, the Lord
says; I will send you help. It is for My name’s glory that you ask; and you
shall receive. ose who are watching for your failure shall yet see My
word triumph gloriously. “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive.” [Mahew 21:22.]—Gospel Workers, p. 263.
Sunday, August 14: Our Father’s Extravagance
e Father’s presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that
which infinite love permied for the blessing of the world. Here was His
source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of
Christ abides in Christ. Whatever comes to him comes from the Saviour,
who surrounds him with His presence. Nothing can touch him except by
the Lord’s permission. All our sufferings and sorrows, all our temptations
and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and privations,
in short, all things work together for our good. All experiences and
circumstances are God’s workmen whereby good is brought to us.—e
Ministry of Healing, pp. 488, 489.
[God’s] love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates everywhere.
It lis out of Satan’s influence those who have been deluded by his
deceptions, and places them within reach of the throne of God, the throne
encircled by the rainbow of promise.
God is our Father and Governor. . . . e principles which rule in
heaven should rule upon earth, the same love that animates the angels, the
same purity and holiness that reign in heaven, should, as far as possible,
be reproduced upon earth.
If you call God your Father, you acknowledge yourselves His children,
to be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient in all things, knowing that
His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life. As children
of God, you will hold His honor, His character, His family, His work, as
the objects of your highest interest. It will be your joy to recognize and
honor your relation to your Father and to every member of His family.
You will rejoice to do any act, however humble, that will tend to His glory
or to the well-being of your kindred.—e Faith I Live By, p. 65.
When [God] gave Himself in Christ for the sin of the world, He
undertook the case of every soul. “He that spared not His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us
all things?” Romans 8:32. Will He not fulfill the gracious word given for
our encouragement and strength?
Christ desires nothing so much as to redeem His heritage from the
dominion of Satan. But before we are delivered from Satan’s power
without, we must be delivered from his power within. e Lord permits
trials in order that we may be cleansed from earthliness, from selfishness,
from harsh, unchristlike traits of character. He suffers the deep waters of
affliction to go over our souls in order that we may know Him and Jesus
Christ whom He has sent, in order that we may have deep heart longings
to be cleansed from defilement, and may come forth from the trial purer,
holier, happier. Oen we enter the furnace of trial with our souls darkened
with selfishness; but if patient under the crucial test, we shall come forth
reflecting the divine character.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 174, 175.
Monday, August 15: In the Name of Jesus
“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” [John 14:14]. . . .
“In my name,” Christ bade His disciples pray. In Christ’s name His
followers are to stand before God. rough the value of the sacrifice made
for them, they are of value in the Lord’s sight. Because of the imputed
righteousness of Christ they are accounted precious. For Christ’s sake the
Lord pardons those that fear Him. He does not see in them the vileness of
the sinner. He recognizes in them the likeness of His Son, in whom they
believe.
e Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon
themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according
to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would
not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them. He
has a use for them, and He is well pleased when they make the very
highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. ey may
expect larger things if they have faith in His promises.—e Desire of Ages,
pp. 667, 668.
To talk of religion in a casual way, to pray without soul-hunger and
living faith, avails nothing. A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him
merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul.
e faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the
truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith,
cannot receive blessing from God.
It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. e
only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal
Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an
opinion. But saving faith is a transaction, by which those who receive
Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life.
A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the
soul becomes a conquering power.—Gospel Workers, pp. 260, 261.
[e disciples] met together to present their requests to the Father in
the name of Jesus. ey knew that they had a Representative in heaven, an
Advocate at the throne of God. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer,
repeating the assurance, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name,
He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and
ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23, 24. Higher and still
higher they extended the hand of faith, with the mighty argument, “It is
Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34.
As the disciples waited for the fulfillment of the promise, they humbled
their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief. As they called
to remembrance the words that Christ had spoken to them before His
death they understood more fully their meaning. . . . As they meditated
upon His pure, holy life they felt that no toil would be too hard, no
sacrifice too great, if only they could bear witness in their lives to the
loveliness of Christ’s character.—e Acts of the Apostles, pp. 35, 36.
Tuesday, August 16: The Power of the Resurrection
To the believer, Christ is the resurrection and the life. In our Saviour
the life that was lost through sin is restored; for He has life in Himself to
quicken whom He will. He is invested with the right to give immortality.
e life that He laid down in humanity, He takes up again, and gives to
humanity. “I am come,” He said, “that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly.” . . . John 10:10. . . .
. . . e same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His
church, and glorify it with Him, above all principalities, above all powers,
above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the
world to come.—e Desire of Ages, pp. 786, 787.
We may rejoice in hope. Our Advocate is in the heavenly sanctuary,
pleading in our behalf. rough His merits we have pardon and peace. He
died that He might wash away our sins, clothe us with His righteousness,
and fit us for the society of heaven, where we may dwell in light forever. .
. . [W]hen Satan would fill your mind with despondency, gloom, and
doubt, resist his suggestions. Tell him of the blood of Jesus, that cleanses
from all sin. You cannot save yourself from the tempter’s power, but he
trembles and flees when the merits of that precious blood are urged. en
will you not gratefully accept the blessings Jesus bestows? Will you not
take the cup of salvation that He presents, and call on the name of the
Lord? . . .
. . . If the loving-kindness of God called forth more thanksgiving and
praise, we would have far more power in prayer. We would abound more
and more in the love of God and have more bestowed to praise Him for.—
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 316, 317.
Genuine faith is life, and where there is life there is growth. e life
which Jesus imparts cannot but grow more and more abundantly. A living
faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul
becomes a conquering power. He who drinks of the water of life which
Jesus gives, possesses within himself a well of water springing up into
everlasting life. ough it shall be cut off from all created springs, it is fed
from the hidden fountain. It is a perpetual spring, in immediate
communication with the inexhaustible fountain of life.
e Lord is dishonored when any who profess His name have an
emptiness. is misrepresents God. Nothing but Christ manifested in
spirit and life and character can reveal God to a world that knows Him
not. e soul renewed in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ whom He
has sent, demonstrates its divine fullness in a living, growing experience—
even the fullness of Him that filleth all things.—at I May Know Him, p.
227.
Wednesday, August 17: To Carry All Our Worry
e Lord desires us to appreciate the great plan of redemption, to
realize our high privilege as the children of God, and to walk before Him
in obedience, with grateful thanksgiving. He desires us to serve Him in
newness of life, with gladness every day. He longs to see gratitude welling
up in our hearts because our names are wrien in the Lamb’s book of life,
because we may cast all our care upon Him who cares for us. He bids us
rejoice because we are the heritage of the Lord, because the righteousness
of Christ is the white robe of His saints, because we have the blessed hope
of the soon coming of our Saviour.
To praise God in fullness and sincerity of heart is as much a duty as is
prayer. We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly intelligences
that we appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen humanity and that
we are expecting larger and yet larger blessings from His infinite fullness.
Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our
experience. Aer a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, our joy in the
Lord and our efficiency in His service would be greatly increased by
recounting His goodness and His wonderful works in behalf of His
children.
ese exercises drive back the power of Satan. ey expel the spirit of
murmuring and complaint, and the tempter loses ground. ey cultivate
those aributes of character which will fit the dwellers on earth for the
heavenly mansions.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 299, 300.
Tenderly [Jesus] bade the toiling people, “Take My yoke upon you, and
learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls.” Mahew 11:29.
In these words, Christ was speaking to every human being. Whether
they know it or not, all are weary and heavy-laden. All are weighed down
with burdens that only Christ can remove. e heaviest burden that we
bear is the burden of sin. If we were le to bear this burden, it would
crush us. But the Sinless One has taken our place. “e Lord hath laid on
Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6.
. . . He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He carries us upon
His heart.
. . . He is watching over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted?
He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He
will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. e Lord “telleth the
number of the stars;” and yet “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth
up their wounds.” Psalm 147:4, 3.
Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the
Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. e way will be open for
you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. e
weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you
become in His strength. e heavier your burdens, the more blessed the
rest in casting them upon your Burden Bearer.—e Ministry of Healing,
pp. 71, 72.
Thursday, August 18: Still Faithful When God Cannot Be Seen
Faith takes God at His word, not asking to understand the meaning of
the trying experiences that come. But there are many who have lile faith.
ey are always fearing and borrowing trouble. Every day they are
surrounded by the tokens of God’s love, every day they enjoy the bounties
of His providence; but they overlook these blessings. And the difficulties
they encounter, instead of driving them to God, separate them from Him,
by arousing unrest and repining.
Do they well to be thus unbelieving? Jesus is their friend. All heaven is
interested in their welfare, and their fear and repining grieve the Holy
Spirit. Not because we see or feel that God hears us are we to believe. We
are to trust His promises. When we come to Him in faith, we should
believe that every petition enters into the heart of Christ. When we have
asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank
Him that we have it. en we are to go about our duties, assured that the
blessing will be sent when we need it most. When we have learned to do
this, we shall know that our prayers are answered. God will do for us
“exceeding abundantly,” “according to the riches of His glory,” and “the
working of His mighty power.” [Ephesians 3:20, 16, 19.]—Gospel Workers,
p. 261.
Workers for God will meet with turmoil, discomfort, and weariness. At
times, uncertain and distracted, the heart is almost in despair. When this
restless nervousness comes, the worker should stop and rest. Christ invites
him, “Come . . . apart, . . . and rest a while” ( Mark 6:31). “He giveth power
to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. . . .
ey that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk,
and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31). . . .
“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine
heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). “It is good that a man should
both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations
3:26).—Li Him Up, p. 263.
Friday, August 19: For Further Reading
at I May Know Him, “I Pray for Guidance,” p. 266;
Reflecting Christ, “Prayer Is Appropriate Anytime, Anywhere,” p. 122;
Lesson 9
A Life of Praise
Sabbath Afternoon, August 20
Take the word of Christ as your assurance. Has He not invited you to
come unto Him? Never allow yourself to talk in a hopeless, discouraged
way. If you do you will lose much. By looking at appearances and
complaining when difficulties and pressure come, you give evidence of
[an] enfeebled faith. Talk and act as if your faith was invincible. e Lord
is rich in resources; He owns the world. Look heavenward in faith. Look
to Him who has light and power and efficiency.
ere is in genuine faith a buoyancy, a steadfastness of principle, and a
fixedness of purpose that neither time nor toil can weaken. “Even the
youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall uerly fall: but
they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount
up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall
walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30, 31.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 146, 147.
Oen the Christian life is beset with dangers, and duty seems hard to
perform. e imagination pictures impending ruin before, and bondage
and death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly, Go forward. Let us
obey the command, even though our sight cannot penetrate the darkness.
e obstacles that hinder our progress will never disappear before a
halting, doubting spirit. ose who defer obedience till every uncertainty
disappears, and there remains no risk of failure or defeat, will never obey.
Faith looks beyond the difficulties, and lays hold of the unseen, even
Omnipotence, therefore it cannot be baffled. Faith is the clasping of the
hand of Christ in every emergency.—Gospel Workers, p. 262.
e Lord desires us to make mention of His goodness and tell of His
power. He is honored by the expression of praise and thanksgiving. He
says, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.” Psalm 50:23. e people of
Israel, as they journeyed through the wilderness, praised God in sacred
song. e commandments and promises of the Lord were set to music, and
all along the journey these were sung by the pilgrim travelers. And in
Canaan as they met at their sacred feasts God’s wonderful works were to
be recounted, and grateful thanksgiving was to be offered to His name.
God desired that the whole life of His people should be a life of praise.
us His way was to be made “known upon earth,” His “saving health
among all nations.” Psalm 67:2.
So it should be now. . . .
e Lord desires us to . . . serve Him in newness of life, with gladness
every day. He longs to see gratitude welling up in our hearts because our
names are wrien in the Lamb’s book of life, because we may cast all our
care upon Him who cares for us. He bids us rejoice because we are the
heritage of the Lord, because the righteousness of Christ is the white robe
of His saints, because we have the blessed hope of the soon coming of our
Saviour.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 298, 299.
Sunday, August 21: Framework for Praise
“In everything give thanks” (1 essalonians 5:18) for the keeping
power of God through Jesus Christ. . . . At the moment when you are
offering your prayer for help you may not feel all the joy and blessing that
you would like to feel, but if you believe that Christ will hear and answer
your petition, the peace of Christ will come. . . .
If you take hold of the strength of the mighty Helper, and not reason
with your adversary and never complain of God, His promises will be
verified. e experience that you gain today in trusting Him will help you
in meeting the difficulties of tomorrow. Each day you are to come, trusting
as a lile child drawing nearer to Jesus and heaven. In meeting with
unwavering trust in God the daily trials and difficulties, you will again and
again test the promises of Heaven, and each time you will learn a lesson of
faith. us you will gain strength to resist temptation, and when the
harder trials come, you will be able to endure.—Our High Calling, p. 326.
“Let your moderation be known unto all men. e Lord is at hand. Be
careful for nothing”—that is, be not overanxious—“but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God.” What a privilege is this given to everyone to trust in
Jesus and tell Him everything! “And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 4:4–7).
Have faith in God. However stormy may be the times, looking unto
Jesus who is the author and the finisher of your faith, you will be
complete in Him. Abide in the old paths, whoever may turn back. Be
rooted and grounded and built up in the most holy faith, a living epistle
known and read of all men.—at I May Know Him, p. 212.
[Late in 1891, Ellen G. White . . . journeyed to Australia to assist in
strengthening the newly established work there. . . . Soon aer her arrival
she was overtaken by an extended and painful illness. e following items
record her fortitude in this affliction.—Compilers.] . . .
. . . In the long weary hours of the night, when sleep has been out of
the question, I have devoted much time to prayer; and when every nerve
seemed to be shrieking with pain, when if I considered myself, it seemed I
should go frantic, the peace of Christ has come into my heart in such
measure that I have been filled with gratitude and thanksgiving. I know
that Jesus loves me, and I love Jesus. Some nights I have slept three hours,
a few nights four hours, and much of the time only two, and yet in these
long Australian nights, in the darkness, all seems light about me, and I
enjoy sweet communion with God.—Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 233,
234.
Monday, August 22: Praying Down Walls
All was silent, save the measured tread of many feet, and the occasional
sound of the trumpet, breaking the stillness of the early morning. e
massive walls of solid stone seemed to defy the siege of men. . . . As the
seventh circuit was completed, the long procession paused, the trumpets,
which for an interval had been silent, now broke forth in a blast that
shook the very earth. e walls of solid stone, with their massive towers
and balements, toered and heaved from their foundations, and with a
crash fell in ruin to the earth. e inhabitants of Jericho were paralyzed
with terror, and the hosts of Israel marched in and took possession of the
city.
e Israelites had not gained the victory by their own power; the
conquest had been wholly the Lord’s; and as the first fruits of the land, the
city, with all that it contained, was to be devoted as a sacrifice to God. It
was to be impressed upon Israel that in the conquest of Canaan they were
not to fight for themselves, but simply as instruments to execute the will
of God; not to seek for riches or self-exaltation, but the glory of Jehovah
their King.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 491.
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.” Hebrews 11:30. . . . [e] plan
of continuing this ceremony through so long a time prior to the final
overthrow of the walls afforded opportunity for the development of faith
among the Israelites. It was to be impressed upon their minds that their
strength was not in the wisdom of man, nor in his might, but only in the
God of their salvation. ey were thus to become accustomed to relying
wholly upon their divine Leader.
God will do great things for those who trust in Him. e reason why
His professed people have no greater strength is that they trust so much
to their own wisdom, and do not give the Lord an opportunity to reveal
His power in their behalf. He will help His believing children in every
emergency if they will place their entire confidence in Him and faithfully
obey Him.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 493.
is [sixty-sixth] psalm and portions of the sixty-eighth and seventy-
second psalms were oen sung by Christ. us in the most simple and
unassuming way He taught others.
. . . Would it not be well to cultivate gratitude, and to offer grateful
songs of thanksgiving to God? As Christians we ought to praise God more
than we do. We ought to bring more of the brightness of His love into our
lives. As by faith we look to Jesus His joy and peace are reflected from the
countenances. How earnestly we should seek so to relate ourselves to God
that our faces may reflect the sunshine of His love! When our own souls
are vivified by the Holy Spirit, we shall exert an upliing influence upon
others who know not the joy of Christ’s presence.—Ellen G. White
Comments, in e SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1148.
Tuesday, August 23: The Life of Praise
e Lord is good, and greatly to be praised. Let us learn to praise Him
with our voices, and to realize that at all times we are in excellent
companionship—even with God and with His Son, Jesus. We are a
spectacle to the unfallen worlds, to angels, and to our fellow men. A
realization of this will lead us to go forth as the Lord may direct, with a
firm, well-garrisoned heart.—is Day With God, p. 238.
“O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! . . . When
I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars,
which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and
the son of man, that thou visitest him?” “All thy works praise thee, O
Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee” (Psalm 8:1, 3, 4; Psalm 145:10).
. . . e goodness, wisdom, and power of God are manifest everywhere.
In mountains, rocks, hills, and valleys, I see the works of divine power. I
can never be lonely while viewing the grand scenery of nature. On the
journey over the plains and mountains I have had feelings of the deepest
reverence and awe while viewing the frowning precipice and snow-
capped mountain heights.
e mountains, hills, and valleys should be to us as schools in which to
study the character of God in His created works. e works of God which
we may view in the ever-varying scenes—in mountains, hills, and valleys,
in trees, shrubs, and flowers, in every leaf, every spire of grass—should
teach us lessons of the skill and love of God and of His infinite power.
ose who study nature cannot be lonesome. ey love the quiet hours
of meditation, for they feel that they are brought in close communion with
God while tracing His power in His created works.—In Heavenly Places, p.
9.
We are not only to contemplate the glory of Christ, but also to speak of
His excellences. Isaiah not only beheld the glory of Christ, but he also
spoke of Him. While David mused, the fire burned; then spoke he with his
tongue. While he mused upon the wondrous love of God he could not but
speak of that which he saw and felt. Who can by faith behold the
wonderful plan of redemption, the glory of the only-begoen Son of God,
and not speak of it? Who can contemplate the unfathomable love that was
manifested upon the cross of Calvary in the death of Christ, that we might
not perish, but have everlasting life—who can behold this and have no
words with which to extol the Saviour’s glory?
“In His temple doth everyone speak of His glory.” Psalm 29:9. e sweet
singer of Israel praised Him upon the harp, saying, “I will speak of the
glorious honor of y majesty, and of y wondrous works. And men
shall speak of the might of y terrible acts: and I will declare y
greatness.” Psalm 145:5, 6.—oughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 43, 44.
Wednesday, August 24: A Witness Who Convicts
e keeper of the jail had heard with amazement the prayers and songs
of the imprisoned apostles. When they were led in, he had seen their
swollen and bleeding wounds, and had himself caused their feet to be
fastened in the stocks. He had expected to hear from them bier groans
and imprecations, but he heard instead songs of joy and praise. With these
sounds in his ears the jailer had fallen into a sleep from which he was
awakened by the earthquake and the shaking of the prison walls. . . .
e severity with which the jailer had treated the apostles had not
aroused their resentment. Paul and Silas had the spirit of Christ, not the
spirit of revenge. eir hearts, filled with the love of the Saviour, had no
room for malice against their persecutors. . . .
. . . A sanctifying influence diffused itself among the inmates of the
prison, and the minds of all were opened to listen to the truths spoken by
the apostles. ey were convinced that the God whom these men served
had miraculously released them from bondage.
—e Acts of the Apostles, pp. 215–217.
e apostles counted not their lives dear unto themselves, rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ.
Paul and Silas suffered the loss of all things. ey suffered scourging, and
were in no gentle manner thrown upon the cold floor of a dungeon in a
most painful position, their feet elevated and fastened in the stocks. Did
repinings and complaints then reach the ear of the jailer? Oh, no! From
the inner prison, voices broke the silence of midnight with songs of joy
and praise to God. ese disciples were cheered by a deep and earnest love
for the cause of their Redeemer, for which they suffered.
As the truth of God fills our hearts, absorbs our affections, and controls
our lives, we also will count it joy to suffer for the truth’s sake. No prison
walls, no martyr’s stake, can then daunt or hinder us in the great work.—
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, pp. 406, 407.
Every soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own—an atmosphere,
it may be, charged with the life-giving power of faith, courage, and hope,
and sweet with the fragrance of love. . . . By the atmosphere surrounding
us, every person with whom we come in contact is consciously or
unconsciously affected. . . .
. . . e silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost
irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ
we co-operate with Him in the work of saving souls. It is only by
revealing in our life His character that we can co-operate with Him. And
the wider the sphere of our influence, the more good we may do. When
those who profess to serve God follow Christ’s example, practicing the
principles of the law in their daily life; when every act bears witness that
they love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, then will the
church have power to move the world.—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 339,
340.
Thursday, August 25: A Weapon That Conquers
With confidence Jehoshaphat could say to the Lord, “Our eyes are upon
ee.” For years he had taught the people to trust in the One who in past
ages had so oen interposed to save His chosen ones from uer
destruction; and now, when the kingdom was in peril, Jehoshaphat did not
stand alone; “all Judah stood before the Lord, with their lile ones, their
wives, and their children.” Unitedly they fasted and prayed; unitedly they
besought the Lord to put their enemies to confusion, that the name of
Jehovah might be glorified. . . .
God was the strength of Judah in this crisis, and He is the strength of
His people today. We are not to trust in princes, or to set men in the place
of God. We are to remember that human beings are fallible and erring, and
that He who has all power is our strong tower of defense. In every
emergency we are to feel that the bale is His. His resources are limitless,
and apparent impossibilities will make the victory all the greater.—Conflict
and Courage, p. 217.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and He will never betray your
trust. If you will ask help of God you need not ask in vain. In order to
encourage us to have confidence and trust He comes near us by His holy
Word and Spirit, and seeks in a thousand ways to win our confidence. But
in nothing does He take more delight than in receiving the weak who
come to Him for strength. If we will find heart and voice to pray, He will
be sure to find an ear to hear and an arm to save.
ere is not a single instance in which God has hidden His face from
the supplication of His people. When every other resource failed He was a
present help in every emergency. God bless you, poor, stricken, wounded
soul. Cling to His hand; hold fast. He will take you, your children, and all
your griefs and burdens if you will only cast them all upon Him.—Leer
42, July 4, 1875.
If the loving-kindness of God called forth more thanksgiving and
praise, we would have far more power in prayer. We would abound more
and more in the love of God and have more bestowed to praise Him for.
You who complain that God does not hear your prayers, change your
present order and mingle praise with your petitions. When you consider
His goodness and mercies you will find that He will consider your wants. .
..
Our God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, declares: “Whoso
offereth praise glorifieth Me.” All heaven unite in praising God. Let us
learn the song of the angels now, that we may sing it when we join their
shining ranks. Let us say with the psalmist: “While I live will I praise the
Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.” “Let the
people praise ee, O God; let all the people praise ee.”—Testimonies for
the Church, vol. 5, pp. 317–319.
Friday, August 26: For Further Reading
Sons and Daughters of God, “Be Strong, for God Is With Us,” p. 202;
Patriarchs and Prophets, “e Fall of Jericho,” pp. 487–498.
Lesson 10
Meekness in the Crucible
Sabbath Afternoon, August 27
Christ’s Sermon on the Mount declares who are the truly blessed:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit [those who are not self-exalted, but candid,
and of a humble disposition, not too proud to be taught, not vain and
ambitious for the honors of the world]: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Blessed are they that mourn [those who are penitential,
submissive, and who grieve over their failures and errors because the
Spirit of God is grieved]: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek
[those who are gentle and forgiving, who, when reviled, will not revile
again, but who manifest a teachable spirit, and do not hold themselves in
high esteem]: for they shall inherit the earth.” ose who possess the
qualifications here enumerated will not only be blessed of God here in this
life, but will be crowned with glory, honor, and immortality in His
kingdom.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 631.
In [Christ’s] sermon on the mount, the very first sentences that came
from His lips were calculated to lay . . . ambitions low in the dust. “Blessed
are the poor in spirit,” He said, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the
meek: for they shall inherit the earth. . . . Blessed are the pure in heart: for
they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called
the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
is whole sermon was an exposition of the law. Christ presented the
far-reaching claims of the law of God. He tried to correct their high
imaginings by exalting true sentiments, and proclaiming a blessing upon
those traits of character that were entirely opposite to the aributes they
were cherishing. He presented before them a kingdom where human
ambitions and earthly passions cannot find an entrance.—Li Him Up, p.
135.
Meekness is a precious, Christian aribute. e meekness and
lowliness of Christ are only learned by wearing Christ’s yoke. . . . at
yoke signifies entire submission.
e heavenly universe looks upon an absence of meekness and
lowliness of heart. e self-exaltation, the feeling of swelling importance,
makes the human agent so large in his own estimation that he feels that
he has no need of a Saviour, no need to wear Christ’s yoke. But the
invitation to each soul is, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”
(Mahew 11:29). . . .
e submission which Christ demands [is] brought about by the work
of the Holy Spirit. ere must be a transformation of the entire being,
heart, soul, and character. . . . Only at the altar of sacrifice, and from the
hand of God, can the selfish, grasping man receive the celestial torch
which reveals his own incompetence and leads him to submit to Christ’s
yoke, to learn His meekness and lowliness.—In Heavenly Places, p. 236.
Sunday, August 28: “Broken Bread and Poured-Out Wine”
[Moses] had been highly honored of God, being privileged to talk with
the Lord face to face, as a man speaks with a friend. He was permied to
see the bright light and excellent glory that enshrouded the Father. e
Lord through Moses delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian
bondage. Moses was a mediator for his people, oen standing between
them and the wrath of God. When the anger of the Lord was greatly
kindled against Israel for their unbelief, their murmurings, and their
grievous sins, Moses’ love for them was tested. God proposed to destroy
them and to make of him a mighty nation. Moses showed his love for
Israel by his earnest pleading in their behalf. In his distress he prayed God
to turn from His fierce anger and forgive Israel, or blot his name out of His
book.—Early Writings, pp. 162, 163.
It was through suffering that Jesus obtained the ministry of
consolation. In all the affliction of humanity He is afflicted; and “in that He
Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are
tempted.” Isaiah 63:9; Hebrews 2:18. In this ministry every soul that has
entered into the fellowship of His sufferings is privileged to share. . . . e
Lord has special grace for the mourner, and its power is to melt hearts, to
win souls. His love opens a channel into the wounded and bruised soul,
and becomes a healing balsam to those who sorrow. “e Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort . . . comforteth us in all our tribulation,
that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the
comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3,
4.—oughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 13.
e difficulties we have to encounter may be very much lessened by
that meekness which hides itself in Christ. If we possess the humility of
our Master, we shall rise above the slights, the rebuffs, the annoyances, to
which we are daily exposed, and they will cease to cast a gloom over the
spirit. e highest evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control. He
who under abuse or cruelty fails to maintain a calm and trustful spirit robs
God of His right to reveal in him His own perfection of character.
Lowliness of heart is the strength that gives victory to the followers of
Christ; it is the token of their connection with the courts above.
. . . ose who reveal the meek and lowly spirit of Christ are tenderly
regarded by God. ey may be looked upon with scorn by the world, but
they are of great value in His sight. . . . [e] poor in spirit, who crave the
presence of an abiding Christ, the humble in heart, whose highest
ambition is to do God’s will,—these will gain an abundant entrance [to
Heaven]. ey will be among that number who have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.—e Desire of Ages, pp.
301, 302.
Monday, August 29: Interceding for Grace
Moses was a humble man; God called him the meekest man on earth. . .
. He could successfully exhort his fellow-men, because his life itself was a
living representation of what man can become and accomplish with God
as his helper, of what he taught to others, of what he desired them to be,
and of what God required of him. He spoke from the heart and it reached
the heart. He was accomplished in knowledge and yet simple as a child in
the manifestation of his deep sympathies. Endowed with a remarkable
instinct, he could judge instantly of the needs of all who surrounded him,
and of the things which were in bad condition and required aention, and
he did not neglect them. . . .
. . . God talked with him face to face, as a man talks with a friend.—
Ellen G. White Comments, in e SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1113.
Moses realized how dreadful would be the fate of the sinner; yet if the
people of Israel were to be rejected by the Lord, he desired his name to be
bloed out with theirs; he could not endure to see the judgments of God
fall upon those who had been so graciously delivered. e intercession of
Moses in behalf of Israel illustrates the mediation of Christ for sinful men.
But the Lord did not permit Moses to bear, as did Christ, the guilt of the
transgressor. “Whosoever hath sinned against Me,” He said, “him will I
blot out of My book.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 326, 327.
God’s children are not to be subject to feelings and emotions. When
they fluctuate between hope and fear, the heart of Christ is hurt; for He
has given them unmistakable evidence of His love. He wants them to be
established, strengthened, and seled in the most holy faith. He wants
them to do the work He has given them; then their hearts will become in
His hands as sacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and
thanksgiving to the One sent by God to take away the sins of the world.
Christ’s love for His children is as tender as it is strong. . . . It is without
variableness or shadow of turning—the same yesterday, today, and forever.
...
God loves the sinless angels, who do His service and are obedient to all
His commands; but He does not give them grace; they have never needed
it, for they have never sinned. Grace is an aribute shown to undeserving
human beings. We did not seek aer it; it was sent in search of us. God
rejoices to bestow grace upon all who hunger and thirst for it, not because
we are worthy, but because we are unworthy. Our need is the qualification
which gives us the assurance that we shall receive the gi.—Testimonies to
Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 518, 519.
Tuesday, August 30: Loving Those Who Hurt Us
Do not allow bier thoughts to continue to fill your mind. . . . Go to
your brother and in humility and sincerity talk with him about the maer.
...
All heaven is interested in the interview between the one who has been
injured and the one who is in error. . . . e oil of love removes the
soreness caused by the wrong. e Spirit of God binds heart to heart, and
there is music in heaven over the union brought about. . . .
. . . It is not earthly rank, nor birth, nor nationality, nor religious
privilege, which proves that we are members of the family of God; it is
love, a love that embraces all humanity. Even sinners whose hearts are not
uerly closed to God’s Spirit will respond to kindness. . . . [It] is only the
Spirit of God that gives love for hatred. To be kind to the unthankful and
to the evil, to do good hoping for nothing again, is the insignia of the
royalty of heaven, the sure token by which the children of the Highest
reveal their high estate.—Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, pp. 529,
530.
God’s ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought
can reach. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven
is perfect.” is command is a promise. e plan of redemption
contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ
always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works
of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be
imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning. . . .
e ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. . . . Jesus was in all
things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He
was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and
refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son
of God. He was God in the flesh. His character is to be ours. e Lord says
of those who believe in Him, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16.—e
Desire of Ages, p. 311.
All that man needs to know or can know of God has been revealed in
the life and character of His Son. . . .
Tender, compassionate, sympathetic, ever considerate of others, He
represented the character of God, and was constantly engaged in service
for God and man. . . .
“Love your enemies,” He bade them; “bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in
heaven;” “for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” “He maketh
His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust.” “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is
merciful.” Mahew 5:44, 45; Luke 6:35, 36.—Testimonies for the Church, vol.
8, pp. 286, 287.
Wednesday, August 31: A Closed Mouth
We should not allow our feelings to be easily wounded. . . . Whatever
others may think of us or do to us, it need not disturb our oneness with
Christ, the fellowship of the Spirit. “What glory is it, if, when ye be
buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well,
and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” 1 Peter
2:20. . . .
If impatient words are spoken to you, never reply in the same spirit.
Remember that “a so answer turneth away wrath.” Proverbs 15:1. And
there is wonderful power in silence. Words spoken in reply to one who is
angry sometimes serve only to exasperate. But anger met with silence, in a
tender, forbearing spirit, quickly dies away.
Under a storm of stinging, faultfinding words, keep the mind stayed
upon the word of God. Let mind and heart be stored with God’s promises.
If you are ill-treated or wrongfully accused, instead of returning an angry
answer, repeat to yourself the precious
promises.—e Ministry of Healing, pp. 485, 486.
It is not how much feeling we manifest over injustice in treatment that
evidences strength of character, but it is the self-control, the firm check
put upon a strong emotion, that evidences strength of character and the
spirit of Jesus. e tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God is to be
given to the overcomer. It is the reward given to conquest, to toil and self-
sacrifice, to the working Christian who will fight the good fight of faith.
We must be nobly striving and fighting for the victory. e grace of Christ
will be given to all who fight lawfully.
. . . Take as lile notice as possible of what people say. Let them say
what they will, but do not by word or deportment show the rising up of
self. e Lord would have you pursue such a course that you will be
considered worthy of trust and confidence. . . . If you evidence that you
have a firm reliance upon God, you will gain respect and confidence and
then you will exert an influence for good. You will let your light shine
forth to the best advantage. You will seek to represent Jesus. You know our
Saviour was reviled, but He reviled not again. He was despised and
rejected of men; and can His followers expect anything beer in this life?
May our gracious heavenly Father impart to each of us more grace and
may we rejoice in His love.—Leer 99, June 18, 1886.
A Christian will cultivate a meek and quiet spirit; he will be calm,
considerate of others, and will have a happy temper that sickness will not
make irritable or the weather or circumstances disturb. . . . e children of
God never forget to do good. Good works are spontaneous with them, for
God has transformed their natures by His grace.—My Life Today, p. 193.
Thursday, September 1: Our Rock and Refuge
Our enemies may triumph. ey may speak lying words, and their
slandering tongue frame slander, deceit, guile; yet will we not be moved.
We know in whom we believe. We have not run in vain, neither labored in
vain. Jesus knows us. . . . A reckoning day is coming and all will be judged
according to the deeds that are done in the body. . . .
It is true the world is dark. Opposition may wax strong. e trifler and
scorner may grow bolder and harder in their iniquity. Yet, for all this, we
will not be moved. We have not run as uncertain. No, no. My heart is
fixed, trusting in God. We have a whole Saviour. We can rejoice in His rich
fullness. I long to be more devoted to God, more consecrated to Him. is
world is too dark for me. Jesus said He would go away and prepare
mansions for us, that where He is we may be also. Praise God for this. My
heart leaps with joy at the cheering prospect.—Reflecting Christ, p. 351.
As the weary traveler seeks the spring in the desert and, finding it,
quenches his burning thirst, so will the Christian thirst for and obtain the
pure water of life, of which Christ is the fountain.
. . . A divine element combines with the human when the soul reaches
out aer God and the longing heart can say, “My soul, wait thou only
upon God; for my expectation is from Him.” Psalm 62:5.
If you have a sense of need in your soul, if you hunger and thirst aer
righteousness, this is an evidence that Christ has wrought upon your
heart, in order that He may be sought unto to do for you, through the
endowment of the Holy Spirit, those things which it is impossible for you
to do for yourself. We need not seek to quench our thirst at shallow
streams; for the great fountain is just above us, of whose abundant waters
we may freely drink, if we will rise a lile higher in the pathway of faith.
—oughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 19.
Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His
blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless
love. What a wonder it is that we pray so lile! . . .
e darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. e
whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all
because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in
the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of
God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to
unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources
of Omnipotence? Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are
in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. e
adversary seeks continually to obstruct the way to the mercy seat, that we
may not by earnest supplication and faith obtain grace and power to resist
temptation.—Steps to Christ, pp. 94, 95.
Friday, September 2: For Further Reading
Reflecting Christ, “Christ a Perfect Example for All,” p. 37;
Evangelism, “e Worker and His alifications,” p. 630.
Lesson 11
Waiting in the Crucible
Sabbath Afternoon, September 3
Christ presented to men that which was entirely contrary to the
representations of the enemy in regard to the character of God, and
sought to impress upon men the love of the Father, who “so loved the
world, that He gave His only-begoen Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. He urged upon
men the necessity of prayer, repentance, confession, and the abandonment
of sin. He taught them honesty, forbearance, mercy, and compassion,
enjoining upon them to love not only those who loved them, but those
who hated them and treated them despitefully. In all this He was revealing
to them the character of the Father, who is long-suffering, merciful, and
gracious, slow to anger, and full of goodness and truth.—Counsels to
Parents, Teachers, and Students, pp. 29, 30.
e lives of His people are to reveal love, meekness, long-suffering.
Long-suffering bears something, yea, many things, without seeking to be
avenged by word or act.
“Long-suffering” is patience with offence; long endurance. If you are
long-suffering, you will not impart to others your supposed knowledge of
your brother’s mistakes and errors. You will seek to help and save him,
because he has been purchased with the blood of Christ. “Tell him his fault
between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother.” “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual
restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou
also be tempted.” To be long-suffering is not to be gloomy and sad, sour
and hardhearted; it is to be exactly the opposite.—My Life Today, p. 52.
I saw that those who profess the truth should hold the standard high,
and induce others to come up to it. I saw that some would have to walk
the straight path alone. eir companions and children will not walk the
self-denying pathway with them. Patience and forbearance should ever
characterize the lives of those lone pilgrims, following the example of
their blessed Master. ey will have many trials to endure, but they have a
hope that makes the soul strong, that bears them up above the trials of
earth, that elevates them above scorn, derision and reproach. ose who
possess a hope like this should never indulge a harsh, unkind spirit. is
will only injure their own souls, and drive their friends farther from the
truth. Treat them tenderly. Give them no occasion to reproach the cause of
Christ; but never yield the truth to please any one. Be decided, be fixed, be
established, be not of a doubtful mind.—Spiritual Gis, vol. 2, p. 266.
Sunday, September 4: The God of Patience
We may walk in the enjoyment of the truth. It need not be to us a yoke
of bondage, but a consolation, a message to us of glad tidings of great joy,
animating our hearts and causing us to make melody in our hearts unto
God. rough patience and comfort of the Scriptures we have hope. e
Christian hope is not gloomy, comfortless. Oh, no, no. It does not shut us
up in a prison of doubts and fears. e truth makes free those who love
and are sanctified through it. ey walk in the glorious liberty of the sons
of God.
We who claim to believe the truth should reveal its fruits in our words
and character. We are to be far advanced in a knowledge of Jesus Christ, in
the reception of His love for God and for our neighbor, in order to have
the sunlight of heaven shining in our daily life. Truth must reach down to
the deepest recesses of the soul, and cleanse away everything unlike the
spirit of Christ, and the vacuum be supplied by the aributes of His
character who was pure and holy and undefiled, that all the springs of the
heart may be as flowers, fragrant with perfume, a sweet-smelling savor, a
savor of life unto life.—Our High Calling, p. 33.
When we are encompassed with doubt, perplexed by circumstances, or
afflicted by poverty or distress, Satan seeks to shake our confidence in
Jehovah. It is then that he arrays before us our mistakes and tempts us to
distrust God, to question His love. He hopes to discourage the soul and
break our hold on God.
. . . But God understands, and He still pities and loves. He reads the
motives and the purposes of the heart. To wait patiently, to trust when
everything looks dark, is the lesson that the leaders in God’s work need to
learn. Heaven will not fail them in their day of adversity. Nothing is
apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that
feels its nothingness and relies wholly on God.—Prophets and Kings, pp.
174, 175.
e lessons that God sends will always, if well learned, bring help in
due time. Put your trust in God. Pray much, and believe. Trusting, hoping,
believing, holding fast the hand of Infinite Power, you will be more than
conquerors.
True workers walk and work by faith. Sometimes they grow weary
with watching the slow advance of the work when the bale wages strong
between the powers of good and evil. But if they refuse to fail or be
discouraged they will see the clouds breaking away and the promise of
deliverance fulfilling. rough the mist with which Satan has surrounded
them, they will see the shining of the bright beams of the Sun of
Righteousness.
Work in faith, and leave results with God. Pray in faith, and the
mystery of His providence will bring its answer. At times it may seem that
you cannot succeed. But work and believe, puing into your efforts faith,
hope, and courage. Aer doing what you can, wait for the Lord, declaring
His faithfulness, and He will bring His word to pass. Wait, not in fretful
anxiety, but in undaunted faith and unshaken trust.—Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 7, p. 245.
Monday, September 5: In God’s Time
I cannot read the purpose of God in my affliction, but He knows what
is best, and I will commit my soul, body, and spirit to Him as unto my
faithful Creator. “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded
that He is able to keep that which I have commied unto Him against that
day” (2 Timothy 1:12). If we educated and trained our souls to have more
faith, more love, greater patience, and a more perfect trust in our heavenly
Father, I know we would have more peace and happiness day by day as we
pass through the conflicts of this life.
e Lord is not pleased to have us fret and worry ourselves out of the
arms of Jesus. More is needed of the quiet waiting and watching
combined. We think unless we have feeling that we are not in the right
track, and we keep looking within for some sign befiing the occasion;
but the reckoning is not of feeling but of faith.—Selected Messages, book 2,
p. 242.
We need not expect all sunshine in this world. Clouds and storms will
cluster about us, and we must be prepared to keep our eyes directed where
we saw the light last. Its rays may be hidden but they still live, still shine
beyond the cloud. It is our work to wait, to watch, to pray, and to believe.
We shall prize the light of the sun more highly aer the clouds disappear.
We shall see the salvation of God if we trust in God in the darkness as
well as in the light.
All trials, all afflictions, all peace, all safety, health, hope, life, and
success are in God’s hands, and He can control them all for the good of
His children. It is our privilege to be suppliants, to ask anything and
everything of God, submiing our request in submission to His wise
purposes and infinite will.—Our High Calling, p. 318.
God designs that His people shall fix their eyes heavenward, looking
for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. While the
aention of worldlings is turned to various enterprises, ours should be to
the heavens; our faith should reach further and further into the glorious
mysteries of the heavenly treasure, drawing the precious, divine rays of
light from the heavenly sanctuary to shine in our hearts, as they shine
upon the face of Jesus. e scoffers mock the waiting, watching ones, and
inquire: “Where is the promise of His coming? . . .” e waiting ones look
upward and answer: “We are watching.” And by turning from earthly
pleasure and worldly fame, and from the deceitfulness of riches, they
show themselves to be in that position. By watching they become strong;
they overcome sloth and selfishness and love of ease. Affliction’s fire
kindles upon them, and the waiting time seems long. ey sometimes
grieve, and faith falters; but they rally again, overcome their fears and
doubts, and while their eyes are directed heavenward, say to their
adversaries: “I am watching, I am waiting the return of my Lord. I will
glory in tribulation, in affliction, in necessities.”—Testimonies for the
Church, vol. 2, pp. 194, 195.
Tuesday, September 6—David: An Object Lesson in Waiting
Hidden by the deep shadows of the hills, David and his aendant
entered the encampment of the enemy. As they sought to ascertain the
exact number of their foes, they came upon Saul sleeping, his spear stuck
in the ground, and a cruse of water at his head. Beside him lay Abner, his
chief commander, and all around them were the soldiers, locked in
slumber. Abishai raised his spear, and said to David, “God hath delivered
thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I
pray thee. . . .” He waited for the word of permission; but there fell upon
his ear the whispered words: “Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth
his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless? . . . As the Lord
liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall
descend into bale, and perish. e Lord forbid that I should stretch forth
mine hand against the Lord’s anointed.” . . .
e second instance of David’s respect for his sovereign’s life made a
still deeper impression upon the mind of Saul and brought from him a
more humble acknowledgment of his fault. He was astonished and
subdued at the manifestation of such kindness. In parting from David, Saul
exclaimed, “Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great
things, and also shalt still prevail.” But the son of Jesse had no hope that
the king would long continue in this frame of mind.—Patriarchs and
Prophets, pp. 668–672.
It is important to believe God’s word and act upon it promptly, while
His angels are waiting to work for us. Evil angels are ready to contest
every step of advance. And when God’s providence bids His children go
forward, when He is ready to do great things for them, Satan tempts them
to displease the Lord by hesitation and delay; he seeks to kindle a spirit of
strife or to arouse murmuring or unbelief, and thus deprive them of the
blessings that God desired to bestow. God’s servants should be
minutemen, ever ready to move as fast as His providence opens the way.
And delay on their part gives time for Satan to work to defeat them.—
Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 423.
e Lord does not always choose for His work men of the greatest
talents, but He selects those whom He can best use. Individuals who might
do good service for God, may for a time be le in obscurity, apparently
unnoticed and unemployed by their Master. But if they faithfully perform
the duties of their humble position, cherishing a willingness to labor and
to sacrifice for Him, He will in His own time entrust them with greater
responsibilities.
Before honor is humility. e Lord can use most effectually those who
are most sensible of their own unworthiness and inefficiency. He will
teach them to exercise the courage of faith. He will make them strong by
uniting their weakness to His might, wise by connecting their ignorance
with His wisdom.—Ellen G. White Comments, in e SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 2, p. 1003.
Wednesday, September 7—Elijah: The Problem of Rushing
God met His tried servant with the inquiry, “What doest thou here,
Elijah?” I sent you to the brook Cherith and aerward to the widow of
Sarepta. I commissioned you to return to Israel and to stand before the
idolatrous priests on Carmel, and I girded you with strength to guide the
chariot of the king to the gate of Jezreel. But who sent you on this hasty
flight into the wilderness? What errand have you here? . . .
Much depends on the unceasing activity of those who are true and
loyal, and for this reason Satan puts forth every possible effort to thwart
the divine purpose to be wrought out through the obedient. He causes
some to lose sight of their high and holy mission, and to become satisfied
with the pleasures of this life. . . . Others he causes to flee in
discouragement from duty, because of opposition or persecution. . . . To
every child of God whose voice the enemy of souls has succeeded in
silencing, the question is addressed, “What doest thou here?” I
commissioned you to go into all the world and preach the gospel, to
prepare a people for the day of God. Why are you here?—Conflict and
Courage, p. 214.
Remember that prayer is the source of your strength. A worker cannot
gain success while he hurries through his prayers and rushes away to look
aer something that he fears may be neglected or forgoen. He gives only
a few hurried thoughts to God; he does not take time to think, to pray, to
wait upon the Lord for a renewal of physical and spiritual strength. He
soon becomes weary. He does not feel the upliing, inspiring influence of
God’s Spirit. He is not quickened by fresh life. His jaded frame and tired
brain are not soothed by personal contact with Christ.
. . . ere are those who work all day and far into the night to do what
seems to them must be done. e Lord looks pityingly upon these weary,
heavy-laden burden bearers and says to them: “Come unto Me, . . . and I
will give you rest.” Mahew 11:28.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, pp.
243, 244.
When men are as devoted as Elijah was and possess the faith that he
had, God will reveal Himself as He did then. When men plead with the
Lord as did Jacob, the results that were seen then will again be seen.
Power will come from God in answer to the prayer of faith.
Because the life of Jesus was a life of constant trust, sustained by
continual communion, His service for heaven was without failure or
faltering. . . . Christ knew that He must strengthen His humanity by
prayer. In order to be a blessing to men, He must commune with God,
from Him obtaining energy, perseverance, steadfastness.—Gospel Workers,
pp. 255, 256.
Thursday, September 8: Learning to Take Delight in the Lord
e psalmist says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell
in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Psalm 37:3. “Trust in the Lord.”
Each day has its burdens, its cares and perplexities; and when we meet
how ready we are to talk of our difficulties and trials. So many borrowed
troubles intrude, so many fears are indulged, such a weight of anxiety is
expressed, that one might suppose we had no pitying, loving Saviour
ready to hear all our requests and to be to us a present help in every time
of need.
Some are always fearing, and borrowing trouble. Every day they are
surrounded with the tokens of God’s love; every day they are enjoying the
bounties of His providence; but they overlook these present blessings.
eir minds are continually dwelling upon something disagreeable which
they fear may come; or some difficulty may really exist which, though
small, blinds their eyes to the many things that demand gratitude.—Steps
to Christ, pp. 121, 122.
In every trial we have strong consolation. Is not our Saviour touched
with the feeling of our infirmities? Has He not been tempted in all points
like as we are? And has He not invited us to take every trial and
perplexity to Him? en let us not make ourselves miserable over
tomorrow’s burdens. Bravely and cheerfully carry the burdens of today.
Today’s trust and faith we must have. But we are not asked to live more
than a day at a time. He who gives strength for today will give strength
for tomorrow. . . .
Nothing wounds the soul like the sharp darts of unbelief. When trial
comes, as it will, do not worry or complain. Silence in the soul makes
more distinct the voice of God. “en are they glad because they be quiet”
(Psalm 107:30). Remember that underneath you are the everlasting arms.
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). He is guiding
you into a harbor of gracious experience.—In Heavenly Places, p. 269.
We need to appreciate more fully the meaning of the words: “I sat
down under His shadow with great delight.” Song of Solomon 2:3. ese
words do not bring to our minds the picture of hasty transit, but of quiet
rest. . . .
Let us turn from the dusty, heated thoroughfares of life to rest in the
shadow of Christ’s love. Here we gain strength for conflict. Here we learn
how to lessen toil and worry, and how to speak and sing to the praise of
God. Let the weary and the heavy-laden learn from Christ the lesson of
quiet trust. ey must sit under His shadow if they would be possessors of
His peace and rest.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, pp. 69, 70.
Friday, September 9: For Further Reading
In Heavenly Places, “Graces to Cherish,” p. 244;
Testimonies for the Church, “Christian Forbearance,” vol. 5, pp. 331–336.
Lesson 12
Dying Like a Seed
Sabbath Afternoon, September 10
All who would bring forth fruit as workers together with Christ must
first fall into the ground and die. e life must be cast into the furrow of
the world’s need. Self-love, self-interest, must perish. But the law of self-
sacrifice is the law of self-preservation. e seed buried in the ground
produces fruit, and in turn this is planted. us the harvest is multiplied.
e husbandman preserves his grain by casting it away. So in human life,
to give is to live. e life that will be preserved is the life that is freely
given in service to God and man. ose who for Christ’s sake sacrifice
their life in this world, will keep it unto life eternal.—Christ’s Object
Lessons, p. 86.
ose who till the soil have the illustration ever before them. Year by
year man preserves his supply of grain by apparently throwing away the
choicest part. For a time it must be hidden under the furrow, to be
watched over by the Lord. en appears the blade, then the ear, and then
the corn in the ear. But this development cannot take place unless the
grain is buried out of sight, hidden, and to all appearance, lost.
e seed buried in the ground produces fruit, and in turn this is
planted. us the harvest is multiplied. So the death of Christ on the cross
of Calvary will bear fruit unto eternal life. e contemplation of this
sacrifice will be the glory of those who, as the fruit of it, will live through
the eternal ages.—e Desire of Ages, p. 623.
e reason many in this age of the world make no greater advancement
in the divine life is because they interpret the will of God to be just what
they will to do. While following their own desires, they flaer themselves
that they are conforming to God’s will. ese have no conflicts with self.
ere are others who for a time are successful in the struggle against their
selfish desire for pleasure and ease. ey are sincere and earnest, but grow
weary of protracted effort, of daily death, of ceaseless turmoil. Indolence
seems inviting, death to self repulsive; and they close their drowsy eyes
and fall under the power of temptation instead of resisting it.
e directions laid down in the word of God leave no room for
compromise with evil. e Son of God was manifested that He might draw
all men unto Himself. He came not to lull the world to sleep, but to point
out the narrow path in which all must travel who reach at last the gates of
the City of God. His children must follow where He has led the way; at
whatever sacrifice of ease or selfish indulgence, at whatever cost of labor
or suffering, they must maintain a constant bale with self.—e Acts of
the Apostles, p. 565.
Sunday, September 11: Submission for Service
[Paul] bids us possess the mind “which was also in Christ Jesus: who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but
made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man,
He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross.” Philippians 2:4–8.
. . . [Paul] was convinced that if men could be led to consider the
amazing sacrifice made by the Majesty of heaven, selfishness would be
banished from their hearts. e apostle lingers over point aer point, that
we may in some measure comprehend the wonderful condescension of the
Saviour in behalf of sinners. He directs the mind first to the position
which Christ occupied in heaven in the bosom of His Father; he reveals
Him aerward as laying aside His glory, voluntarily subjecting Himself to
the humbling conditions of man’s life, assuming the responsibilities of a
servant, and becoming obedient unto death, and that the most
ignominious and revolting, the most agonizing—the death of the cross.—
e Ministry of Healing, p. 501.
I was shown the Waldenses, and what they suffered for their religion.
ey conscientiously studied the word of God, and lived up to the light
which shone upon them. ey were persecuted, and driven from their
homes; their possessions, gained by hard labor, were taken from them, and
their houses burned. ey fled to the mountains and there suffered
incredible hardships. ey endured hunger, fatigue, cold, and nakedness.
e only clothing which many of them could obtain was the skins of
animals. And yet the scaered and homeless ones would assemble to unite
their voices in singing, and praising God that they were accounted worthy
to suffer for Christ’s name. ey encouraged and cheered one another, and
were grateful for even their miserable retreat. Many of their children
sickened and died from cold and hunger, yet the parents did not for a
moment think of yielding their religion. ey prized the love and favor of
God far above earthly ease or worldly riches. ey received consolation
from God and with pleasing anticipations looked forward to the
recompense of reward.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 371.
[God] wants prayerful, faithful workers who will sow beside all waters.
ose who labor thus will be surprised to find how trials, resolutely borne
in the name and strength of Jesus, will give firmness to the faith and
renew the courage. In the path of humble obedience is safety and power,
comfort and hope; but the reward will finally be lost by those who do
nothing for Jesus. Weak hands will be unable to cling to the Mighty One,
feeble knees will fail to support in the day of adversity. Bible readers and
Christian workers will receive the glorious prize, and hear the “Well done,
thou good and faithful servant: . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”—
Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 76.
Monday, September 12: Dying Comes Before Knowing God’s Will
ose who are seeking the righteousness of Christ will be dwelling
upon the themes of the great salvation. e Bible is the storehouse that
supplies their souls with nourishing food. ey meditate upon the
incarnation of Christ, they contemplate the great sacrifice made to save
them from perdition, to bring in pardon, peace, and everlasting
righteousness. e soul is aglow with these grand and elevating themes.
Holiness and truth, grace and righteousness, occupy the thoughts. Self
dies, and Christ lives in His servants. In contemplation of the word, their
hearts burn within them, as did the hearts of the two disciples while they
went to Emmaus, and Christ walked with them by the way, and opened to
them the scriptures concerning Himself.—Testimonies to Ministers and
Gospel Workers, pp. 87, 88.
Heaven will be cheap enough, if we obtain it through suffering. We
must deny self all along the way, die to self daily, let Jesus alone appear,
and keep His glory continually in view. I saw that those who of late have
embraced the truth would have to know what it is to suffer for Christ’s
sake, that they would have trials to pass through that would be keen and
cuing, in order that they may be purified and fied through suffering to
receive the seal of the living God. . . .
As I saw what we must be in order to inherit glory, and then saw how
much Jesus had suffered to obtain for us so rich an inheritance, I prayed
that we might be baptized into Christ’s sufferings, that we might not
shrink at trials, but bear them with patience and joy. . . . Said the angel,
“Deny self; ye must step fast.” Some of us have had time to get the truth
and to advance step by step, and every step we have taken has given us
strength to take the next. But now time is almost finished, and what we
have been years learning, they will have to learn in a few months. ey
will also have much to unlearn and much to learn again.—Early Writings,
p. 67.
Christ is our example. For our sakes He became poor, that we through
His poverty might be made rich. He taught that all should come together
in love and unity, to work as He worked, to sacrifice as He sacrificed, to
love as the children of God.
. . . [P]ractice the self-denial of Christ. Dress plainly but neatly. Spend
as lile as possible upon yourselves. Keep in your homes a self-denial box
into which you can put the money saved by lile acts of self-denial. Day
by day gain a clearer understanding of the word of God, and improve
every opportunity to impart the knowledge you have gained. Do not
become weary in well-doing, for God is constantly imparting to you the
great blessing of His Gi to the world. Co-operate with the Lord Jesus,
and He will teach you the priceless lessons of His love.—Testimonies for
the Church, vol. 9, p. 131.
Tuesday, September 13: Willingness to Listen
Eli was a good man, pure in morals; but he was too indulgent. He
incurred the displeasure of God because he did not strengthen the weak
points in his character. He did not want to hurt the feelings of anyone and
had not the moral courage to rebuke and reprove sin. His sons were vile
men; yet he did not remove them from their position of trust. ese sons
profaned the house of God. He knew this, and felt sad in consequence of
it, for he loved purity and righteousness; but he had not sufficient moral
force to suppress the evil. He loved peace and harmony, and became more
and more insensible to impurity and crime.—Testimonies for the Church,
vol. 4, p. 516.
During the first three years of the life of Samuel the prophet, his
mother carefully taught him to distinguish between good and evil. By
every familiar object surrounding him she sought to lead his thoughts up
to the Creator. In fulfillment of her vow to give her son to the Lord, with
great self-denial she placed him under the care of Eli the high priest, to be
trained for service in the house of God. . . . His early training led him to
choose to maintain his Christian integrity. What a reward was Hannah’s!
And what an encouragement to faithfulness is her example!—Child
Guidance, p. 197.
God gave men eyes, that they might behold wondrous things out of His
law. He gave them the hearing ear, that they might listen to His message,
spoken by the living preacher. He gave men the talent of speech, that they
might present Christ as the sin-pardoning Saviour. With the heart man
believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
. . . All should guard the senses, lest Satan gain victory over them; for
these are the avenues of the soul.
You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all
your senses if you would control your mind and prevent vain and corrupt
thoughts from staining your soul. e power of grace alone can
accomplish this most desirable work.
Satan and his angels are busy creating a paralyzed condition of the
senses so that cautions, warnings, and reproofs shall not be heard; or, if
heard, that they shall not take effect upon the heart and reform the life.—
e Adventist Home, p. 401.
God requires that all of us should be self-sacrificing workers. Every
part of the truth has a practical application to our daily lives. Blessed are
they that hear the word of the Lord and keep it. Hearing is not enough; we
must act, we must do. It is in the doing of the Commandments that there is
great reward.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 59, 60.
Wednesday, September 14: Self-Reliance
Saul had failed to bear the test of faith in the trying situation at Gilgal,
and had brought dishonor upon the service of God; but his errors were not
yet irretrievable, and the Lord would grant him another opportunity to
learn the lesson of unquestioning faith in His word and obedience to His
commands.
When reproved by the prophet at Gilgal, Saul saw no great sin in the
course he had pursued. He felt that he had been treated unjustly, and
endeavored to vindicate his actions and offered excuses for his error. From
that time he had lile [interaction] with the prophet. Samuel loved Saul as
his own son, while Saul, bold and ardent in temper, had held the prophet
in high regard; but he resented Samuel’s rebuke, and thenceforth avoided
him so far as possible.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 627.
When called to the throne, Saul had a humble opinion of his own
capabilities, and was willing to be instructed. He was deficient in
knowledge and experience and had serious defects of character. But the
Lord granted him the Holy Spirit as a guide and helper, and placed him in
a position where he could develop the qualities requisite for a ruler of
Israel. Had he remained humble, seeking constantly to be guided by divine
wisdom, he would have been enabled to discharge the duties of his high
position with success and honor. . . .
But Saul presumed upon his exaltation, and dishonored God by
unbelief and disobedience. ough when first called to the throne he was
humble and self-distrustful, success made him self-confident. e very
first victory of his reign had kindled that pride of heart which was his
greatest danger . . . and though at first Saul ascribed the glory to God, he
aerward took honor to himself. He lost sight of his dependence upon
God, and in heart departed from the Lord. us the way was prepared for
his sin of presumption and sacrilege at Gilgal. e same blind self-
confidence led him to reject Samuel’s reproof. Saul acknowledged Samuel
to be a prophet sent from God; hence he should have accepted the reproof,
though he could not himself see that he had sinned. Had he been willing
to see and confess his error, this bier experience would have proved a
safeguard for the future. . . .
When Saul turned away from the reproof sent him by God’s Holy
Spirit, and persisted in his stubborn self-justification, he rejected the only
means by which God could work to save him from himself. He had
willfully separated himself from God. He could not receive divine help or
guidance until he should return to God by confession of his sin.—
Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 632–634.
Thursday, September 15: Substitutes
He who loses sight of his entire dependence upon God is sure to fall.
We are contending with those who are stronger than we. Satan and his
hosts are constantly watching to assail us with temptations, and in our
own strength and wisdom it is impossible for us to withstand them.
Hence, whenever we permit our hearts to be drawn away from God,
whenever we indulge self-exaltation or self-dependence, we are sure to be
overthrown.—Gospel Workers, pp. 322, 323.
Make God your entire dependence. When you do otherwise, then it is
time for a halt to be called. Stop right where you are, and change the order
of things. . . . In sincerity, in soul-hunger, cry aer God. Wrestle with the
heavenly agencies until you have the victory. Put your whole being into
the Lord’s hands soul, body, and spirit, and resolve to be His loving,
consecrated agency, moved by His will, controlled by His mind, infused by
His Spirit . . . then you will see heavenly things clearly.
If we would permit our minds to dwell more upon Christ and the
heavenly world, we should find a powerful stimulus and support in
fighting the bales of the Lord. Pride and love of the world will lose their
power as we contemplate the glories of that beer land so soon to be our
home. Beside the loveliness of Christ, all earthly aractions will seem of
lile worth.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 105.
Zerubbabel had gone to Jerusalem to build the house of the Lord. But
he was compassed with difficulties. His adversaries “weakened the hands
of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,” “and made them to
cease by force and power.” But the Lord interposed in their behalf, and the
house was finished. [Zechariah 4:6, 7, 10 quoted.]
e very same difficulties which were created to hinder the restoration
and upbuilding of the work of God, the great mountains of difficulty
which loomed in Zerubbabel’s way, will be met by all who today are loyal
to God and to His work. Many human inventions are used to carry out
plans aer the mind and will of men with whom God is not working. But
it is not boastful words nor a multitude of ceremonies that show that the
Lord is working with His people. e assumed power of the human agent
does not decide this question. ose who place themselves in opposition
to the Lord’s work may hinder for a time, but the same Spirit that has
guided the Lord’s work all the way through will guide it today. “Not by
might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” . . .
e Lord would have every soul strong in His strength. He would have
us look to Him, receiving our directions from Him.—Ellen G. White
Comments, in e SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1179.
e dispensation in which we are now living is to be, to those that ask,
the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. Ask for His blessing. It is time we were
more intense in our devotion. To us is commied the arduous, but happy,
glorious work of revealing Christ to those who are in darkness. We are
called to proclaim the special truths for this time. For all this the
outpouring of the Spirit is essential. We should pray for it. e Lord
expects us to ask Him. We have not been wholehearted in this work.—
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 511, 512.
Friday, September 16: For Further Reading
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, “e Lord Has a
Controversy With His People,” p. 374;
Patriarchs and Prophets, “e Presumption of Saul,” pp. 616–626.
Lesson 13
Christ in the Crucible
Sabbath Afternoon, September 17
It was a being of wonderful power and glory that had set himself
against God. Of Lucifer the Lord says, “ou sealest up the sum, full of
wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” Ezekiel 28:12. Lucifer had been the
covering cherub. He had stood in the light of God’s presence. He had been
the highest of all created beings, and had been foremost in revealing God’s
purposes to the universe. Aer he had sinned, his power to deceive was
the more deceptive, and the unveiling of his character was the more
difficult, because of the exalted position he had held with the Father.
God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one
can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion was not to
be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan’s
government. e Lord’s principles are not of this order. His authority rests
upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of these principles
is the means to be used. God’s government is moral, and truth and love
are to be the prevailing power.—e Desire of Ages, pp. 758, 759.
Jesus did not yield up His life till He had accomplished the work which
He came to do; and He exclaimed with His parting breath, “It is finished!”
Angels rejoiced as the words were uered, for the great plan of
redemption was being triumphantly carried out. ere was joy in heaven
that the sons of Adam could now, through a life of obedience, be exalted
finally to the presence of God. Satan was defeated, and knew that his
kingdom was lost.—e Story of Redemption, pp. 226, 227.
[Satan] had hoped to break up the plan of salvation; but it was laid too
deep. And now by the death of Christ he knew that he himself must
finally die, and his kingdom be given to Jesus. He held a council with his
angels. He had prevailed nothing against the Son of God, and now they
must increase their efforts and with their power and cunning turn to His
followers. ey must prevent all whom they could from receiving the
salvation purchased for them by Jesus. By so doing Satan could still work
against the government of God. Also it would be for his own interest to
keep from Jesus as many as possible. For the sins of those who are
redeemed by the blood of Christ will at last be rolled back upon the
originator of sin, and he must bear their punishment, while those who do
not accept salvation through Jesus will suffer the penalty of their own
sins.—Early Writings, p. 178.
Sunday, September 18: The Early Days
Aer Christ had condescended to leave His high command, step down
from an infinite height and assume humanity, He could have taken upon
Him any condition of humanity He might choose. But greatness and rank
were nothing to Him, and He selected the lowest and most humble walk of
life. e place of His birth was Bethlehem, and on one side His parentage
was poor, but God, the Owner of the world, was His Father. No trace of
luxury, ease, selfish gratification, or indulgence was brought into His life,
which was a continual round of self-denial and self-sacrifice. In
accordance with His humble birth, He had apparently no greatness or
riches, in order that the humblest believer need not say that Christ never
knew the stress of pinching poverty. Had He possessed the semblance of
outward show, of riches, of grandeur, the poorest class of humanity would
have shunned His society; therefore He chose the lowly condition of the
far greater number of the people. e truth of heavenly origin was to be
His theme: He was to sow the earth with truth; and He came in such a
way as to be accessible to all, that the truth alone might make an
impression upon human hearts.
Christ’s contentment in any position provoked His brethren. ey
could not explain the reason of His peace and serenity; and no persuasion
of theirs could lead Him to enter into any plans or arrangements which
bore the impression of commonness or of guilt. On every occasion He
would turn from them, plainly stating that they would mislead others, and
were unworthy of the sons of Abraham. He must set such an example that
lile children, the younger members of the Lord’s family, would see
nothing in His life or character to justify any evil deed. You are altogether
too particular and peculiar, said the members of his own family. Why not
be as other children? But this could not be; for Christ was to be a sign and
a wonder from His youth, as far as strict obedience and integrity were
concerned.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 401.
Every act of transgression, every neglect or rejection of the grace of
Christ, is reacting upon yourself; it is hardening the heart, depraving the
will, benumbing the understanding, and not only making you less inclined
to yield, but less capable of yielding, to the tender pleading of God’s Holy
Spirit. . . .
Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently
cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. Every
sinful indulgence strengthens the soul’s aversion to God. e man who
manifests an infidel hardihood, or a stolid indifference to divine truth, is
but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown. In all the Bible
there is not a more fearful warning against trifling with evil than the
words of the wise man that the sinner “shall be holden with the cords of
his sins.” Proverbs 5:22.—Steps to Christ, pp. 33, 34.
Monday, September 19: Despised and Rejected of Men
A human body and a human mind were [Christ’s]. He was bone of our
bone and flesh of our flesh. He was subjected to poverty from his first
entrance into the world. He was subject to disappointment and trial in his
own home, among his own brethren. He was not surrounded, as in the
heavenly courts, with pure and lovely characters. He was compassed with
difficulties. He came into our world to maintain a pure, sinless character,
and to refute Satan’s lie that it was not possible for human beings to keep
the law of God. Christ came to live the law in his human character in just
that way in which all may live the law in human nature if they will do as
Christ was doing. He had inspired holy men of old to write for the benefit
of man: “Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with
me; and he shall make peace with me” (Isaiah 27:5).—Selected Messages,
book 3, pp. 129, 130.
[e] scribes and Pharisees . . . were filled with envy because the
people listened so aentively to the words of this new Teacher. ey
determined to break His hold upon the multitudes. ey began by
aacking His character, saying that He was born in sin, and that He cast
out devils through the prince of the devils. us were fulfilled the words
“ey hated me without a cause” (John 15:25; cf. Psalm 69:4). e Jewish
leaders maligned and persecuted the One who is chiefest among ten
thousand and altogether lovely.
As we separate from the world and its customs, we shall meet with the
displeasure of worldlings. e world hated the One who was the very
embodiment of virtue, because He was beer than they were. e servant
is not greater than his Lord. If our ways please God, the world will hate
us. If the Majesty of heaven came to this world, and endured a life of
humiliation and a death of shame, why should we shrink back because
obedience involves a cross? If He was persecuted, can we expect beer
treatment? . . . I point you to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world. He will comfort and sustain all who come to Him for help.—e
Upward Look, p. 325.
e tears of Jesus were not in anticipation of His own suffering. Just
before Him was Gethsemane, where soon the horror of a great darkness
would overshadow Him. . . . Yet it was not because of these reminders of
His cruel death that the Redeemer wept and groaned in anguish of spirit.
His was no selfish sorrow. e thought of His own agony did not
intimidate that noble, self-sacrificing soul. It was the sight of Jerusalem
that pierced the heart of Jesus—Jerusalem that had rejected the Son of God
and scorned His love, that refused to be convinced by His mighty miracles,
and was about to take His life. He saw what she was in her guilt of
rejecting her Redeemer, and what she might have been had she accepted
Him who alone could heal her wound. He had come to save her; how
could He give her up?—e Desire of Ages, p. 576.
Tuesday, September 20: Jesus in Gethsemane
When in the garden of Gethsemane, the cup of suffering was placed in
the Saviour’s hand, the thought came to Him, Should He drink it or should
He leave the world to perish in sin? His suffering was too great for human
comprehension. As the agony of soul came upon Him, “His sweat was as it
were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). e
mysterious cup trembled in His hand. In this awful crisis, when
everything was at stake, the mighty angel who stands in God’s presence,
came to the side of Christ, not to take the cup from His hand, but to
strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father’s love.
Christ drank of the cup, and this is the reason that sinners can come to
God and find pardon and grace. But those who share in Christ’s glory
must share also in His suffering. . . .
Shall we take up the cross, and intelligently understand what it means
to follow Christ, practicing self-denial at every step?—is Day With God,
p. 49.
In that thick darkness God’s presence was hidden. He makes darkness
His pavilion, and conceals His glory from human eyes. God and His holy
angels were beside the cross. e Father was with His Son. Yet His
presence was not revealed. Had His glory flashed forth from the cloud,
every human beholder would have been destroyed. And in that dreadful
hour Christ was not to be comforted with the Father’s presence. He trod
the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with Him.
In the thick darkness, God veiled the last human agony of His Son. All
who had seen Christ in His suffering had been convicted of His divinity.
at face, once beheld by humanity, was never forgoen. As the face of
Cain expressed his guilt as a murderer, so the face of Christ revealed
innocence, serenity, benevolence,—the image of God. But His accusers
would not give heed to the signet of heaven. rough long hours of agony
Christ had been gazed upon by the jeering multitude. Now He was
mercifully hidden by the mantle of God.—e Desire of Ages, pp. 753, 754.
With untold love our God has loved us, and our love awakens toward
Him as we comprehend something of the length and breadth and depth
and height of this love that passeth knowledge. By the revelation of the
aractive loveliness of Christ, by the knowledge of His love expressed to
us while we were yet sinners, the stubborn heart is melted and subdued,
and the sinner is transformed and becomes a child of heaven. God does
not employ compulsory measures; love is the agent which He uses to
expel sin from the heart. By it He changes pride into humility, and enmity
and unbelief into love and faith. . . .
God is love. Like rays of light from the sun, love and light and joy flow
out from Him to all His creatures. It is His nature to give. His very life is
the outflow of unselfish love.—oughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 76,
77.
Wednesday, September 21: The Crucified God
In yielding up His precious life, Christ was not upheld by triumphant
joy. All was oppressive gloom. It was not the dread of death that weighed
upon Him. It was not the pain and ignominy of the cross that caused His
inexpressible agony. Christ was the prince of sufferers; but His suffering
was from a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that through
familiarity with evil, man had become blinded to its enormity. Christ saw
how deep is the hold of sin upon the human heart, how few would be
willing to break from its power. He knew that without help from God,
humanity must perish, and He saw multitudes perishing within reach of
abundant help.—e Desire of Ages, pp. 752, 753.
As Jesus hung upon the cross and cried, “It is finished,” the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from top to boom, to signify that God would no
longer meet with the priests in the temple, to accept their sacrifices and
ordinances, and also to show that the partition wall between the Jews and
the Gentiles was broken down. Jesus had made an offering of Himself for
both, and if saved at all, both must believe in Him as the only offering for
sin, the Saviour of the world.
When the soldier pierced the side of Jesus as He hung upon the cross,
there came out two distinct streams, one of blood, the other of water. e
blood was to wash away the sins of those who should believe in His name,
and the water was to represent that living water which is obtained from
Jesus to give life to the believer.—Early Writings, p. 209.
I saw Christ in the midst of a large company of people. He was seeking
to impress their minds with His teachings. But He was despised and
rejected by them. Men were heaping upon Him abuse and shame. My
distress was very great as I looked upon the scene. . . .
ere was presented to me Christ’s agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane, when the mysterious cup trembled in the Redeemer’s hand.
“Father, if it be possible,” He prayed, “let this cup pass from Me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as ou wilt.” Mahew 26:39. As He pleaded
with the Father, great drops of blood fell from His face to the ground. e
elements of darkness were gathered about the Saviour to discourage His
soul. . . .
How few there are who realize that all this was borne for them
individually! How few who say: “It was for me, that I might form a
character for the future immortal life.”
As these things were presented to me so vividly, I thought, I shall never
be able to present this subject before the people as it is;” and I have given
you only a faint representation of what was shown me. As I have thought
of that cup trembling in the hands of Christ; as I have realized that He
might have refused to drink, and le the world to perish in its sin, I have
pledged that every energy of my life should be devoted to the work of
winning souls to Him.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, pp. 101–103.
Thursday, September 22: The Suffering God
All His life Christ had been publishing to a fallen world the good news
of the Father’s mercy and pardoning love. Salvation for the chief of
sinners was His theme. But now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears,
He cannot see the Father’s reconciling face. e withdrawal of the divine
countenance from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His
heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. So great
was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt.
. . . He feared that sin was so offensive to God that eir separation was
to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when
mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin,
bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the
cup He drank so bier, and broke the heart of the Son of God.—e Desire
of Ages, p. 753.
What is our path to heaven? Is it a road with every inviting
convenience? No, it is a path that is narrow and apparently inconvenient;
it is a path of conflict, of trial, of tribulation and suffering. Our Captain,
Jesus Christ, has hid nothing from us in regard to the bales we are to
fight. He opens the map before us and shows us the way. “Strive,” He says,
“to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter
in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). “Wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat”
(Mahew 7:13). “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). e
apostle echoes the words of Christ, “We must through much tribulation
enter into the kingdom” (Acts 14:22). Well, is it the discouraging aspect we
are to keep before the mind’s eye? . . .
[Jesus is] the life of every grace, the life of every promise, the life of
every ordinance, the life of every blessing. Jesus is the substance, the glory
and fragrance, the very life itself. “He that followeth Me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). en the royal path
cast up the ransomed to walk in is not discouraging darkness. Our
pilgrimage would indeed be lonely and painful were it not for Jesus. “I will
not,” He says, “leave you comfortless” (John 14:18). en let us gather
every registered promise. Let us repeat them by day and meditate upon
them in the night season, and be happy. . . .
Is not this indeed a royal path we are traveling, cast up for the
ransomed of the Lord to walk in? Can there be provided a beer path? A
safer way? No! No! en let us practice the instruction given. Let us see
our Saviour as our refuge, as our shield on our right hand to defend us
from the arrows of Satan.—Selected Messages, book 2, pp. 243–245.
Friday, September 23: For Further Reading
Li Him Up, “Conqueror Over the Power of Darkness,” p. 235;
In Heavenly Places, “No Exemption From Sorrow,” p. 268.
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