Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Lt 87, 1897

Lacey, Brother and Sister [Herbert and Lillian]

Sunnyside, Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

March 19, 1897

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother and Sister Lacey:

We were thankful to our heavenly Father to receive the good news through the letter sent to Elder Haskell, of the favorable turn in the sickness of Herbert. We have presented your case, Herbert, in earnest prayer. Jesus the Restorer often sought the Lord in prayer, and have not we the assurance, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”? [Matthew 7:7.] 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 1

It is our privilege to do our best in treating the sick. All that we do is to be done in faith, relying upon the Great Healer. “I am come,” said Jesus, “that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly.” [John 10:10.] The lessons of the life of Christ are precious to us. He waited, He worked, He prayed, in behalf of man. He depended upon God, and in His life plans worked with God. He cooperated perfectly with the will of His Father. We need to copy this Pattern in all things. 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 2

Jesus, the precious Saviour, is our very best friend. In the Father’s name, the only begotten of God has brought to you, Herbert and Lillian, the message of love and peace. If Jesus had consulted Himself only, if He had lived for Himself alone, He could not have been our Redeemer. He would have claimed less obedience in His sinless nature; He would never have become a Sin-bearer, and died with the curse of the sins of the whole world upon Him. When, in the garden of Gethsemane, He pleaded that the cup might pass from Him, He added, “Nevertheless, not my will; but thine be done.” [Luke 22:42.] 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 3

Thus it should be in every case of sickness in the person of our dear ones. We are to pray for them earnestly and in faith, but the prayer of Christ, which submits the whole matter to the will of God, is to be our prayer. “Not my will, but thine, O God, be done.” [Verse 42.] This will in no case be charged against the petitioner as a lack of faith. Our every prayer should show our acknowledgment of our dependence upon God. The Lord, who has given to us so precious a gift as Jesus, will He not with Him also freely give us all things? He, our heavenly Father, has given us such an expression of His love that no room is left for us to question or to doubt His love. He has taken us to His heart of love. 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 4

“Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God.” [Psalm 40:7, 8.] The thoughts of Christ in regard to Himself were that He was the Sent of God. And this is the position that all should occupy toward Christ. They should consider themselves in the service of Christ, to do God’s will in all things as Christ has done the will of His Father. In speaking of His disciples in prayer to His Father Christ says, “Thou hast sent me into the world, so have I also sent them into the world.” [John 17:18.] Jesus was raised up as the servant of God His Father, to bring a message of peace and reconciliation from God to man, and to turn many from their iniquity to Him. 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 5

The Lord wanted us, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand—an errand that involved His death, in order that He might give life unto all who would receive Him by faith. The Lord has a use for us. We are to cooperate with Him in saving our own souls by complying with the conditions of obedience to do the will of God as Christ in His humanity fulfilled the will of His Father in all things. This obedience to God confirms our confidence and trust in Him. He wants us to be His messengers to work in Christ’s lines. 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 6

My brother, the Lord’s love is toward you. We believe the Lord has a special work for you to do in representing Jesus to the world. His desire is that you shall be the sent of Jesus Christ. Be of good courage; be at rest and peace in Christ, and grow strong in His strength. We shall do all in our power to have the school commence as it should. 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 7

In much love. 12LtMs, Lt 87, 1897, par. 8