The Southern Watchman
January 26, 1904
Encouraging Words to the Workers
To the Dear Brethren and Sisters Assembled in Council at Nashville,
The divine command to deliver Israel found Moses self-distrustful, slow of speech, and timid. He was overwhelmed with a sense of his incapacity to be a mouthpiece for God. But he accepted the work, putting all his trust in the Lord. The greatness of his mission called into exercise the best powers of his mind. God blessed his ready obedience, and he became eloquent, hopeful, self-possessed, and well fitted for the greatest work ever given to man. This is an example of what God does to strengthen the character of those who trust him implicitly, and give themselves unreservedly to his commands. SW January 26, 1904, par. 1
Divine Help Promised
The humble, efficient worker, who obediently responds to the call of God, may be sure of receiving divine assistance. To feel so great and holy a responsibility is of itself elevating to the character. It calls into action the highest mental qualities, and their continued exercise strengthens and purifies mind and heart. The influence upon one's own life, as well as upon the lives of others, is incalculable. SW January 26, 1904, par. 2
Co-laborers with the Saviour
It is wonderful how strong a weak man may become through faith in the power of God, how decided his efforts, how prolific of great results. The hesitating and irresolute, through exercising his abilities in the cause of God, becomes firm and decided. Taking in the great fact that he is called by the Redeemer of the world to work with him for the salvation of men, he dedicates his life to the work. His nature becomes exalted; the mission of Christ opens before him with new importance and glory, and with deep humility he recognizes in himself a co-laborer with the Saviour. No higher office is given to man. No joy can equal the assurance of being an instrument in the hand of God for saving souls. It is a grand thing to look back upon a course of labor marked with glorious results; to see precious souls progressing in the light through your efforts; to feel that God has worked with and through you in the harvest-field of the world. SW January 26, 1904, par. 3
Our Rich Reward
Careless spectators may not appreciate your work or see its importance. They may think it a losing business, a life of thankless labor and self-sacrifice. But the servant of Jesus sees it in the light shining from the cross. His sacrifices appear small in comparison with those of the blessed Master, and he is glad to follow in his steps. The success of his labor affords him the purest joy, and is the richest recompense for a life of patient toil. SW January 26, 1904, par. 4
In reviewing the past, the trials and difficulties that have beset him are not magnified in his mind. The consciousness of duty performed amply compensates for all his sufferings, and the glory of his coming reward clothes the future with the light of heaven. Glancing over the well-fought field of battle, he says with Paul, “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” SW January 26, 1904, par. 5
The Christian's First Great Object
He who is called of God to so sacred a work should put all his energies to its accomplishment. Every other consideration should become secondary to this great object. He should feel the solemn obligations resting upon him, one whom God has honored by choosing to unite him with the angels in the work of ministering to souls and enlightening them with divine truth. The history of our Saviour's conflict in the wilderness of temptation, his life of self-sacrificing love, his soul-agony in Gethsemane, the cruelty of the scenes in the judgment-hall, and the agony upon the cross, all combine to teach a lesson of self-sacrifice, of patience under affliction, of solemn consecration to God, and of fitting preparation for his holy work. SW January 26, 1904, par. 6
Christ Our Strength
Laborer for God, when weary and heavy laden, flee to Christ, who has promised you rest. He is your burden-bearer; he is your strength. Never allow yourself to believe that you are yourself sufficient for the exigency of the times; never regard yourself as a graduated Christian. Your work is to discipline the mind, to store up knowledge, to perfect character while life lasts. Only thus can you wage successfully the great warfare of life. SW January 26, 1904, par. 7
The Call for Faithful Soldiers
Keep the spirit as humble as that of a little child. Envy, pride, worldly ambition, cupidity, and love of ease must be sacrificed upon the altar of God. In the simplicity of love, be like those little ones whose angels do always behold the face of our heavenly Father. But unite with these virtues the courage of a tried warrior. We want faithful Calebs, who will raise their voices fearlessly in defence of the right, who are the first to press into the front of the battle, and plant the banner of truth in the heart of the enemy's camp. SW January 26, 1904, par. 8
Jesus calls for young men who will volunteer to carry the truth to the world. Men of spiritual stamina are needed, men who are able to find work close at hand, because they are looking for it. The church needs now men to give energy to the ranks, men for the time, able to cope with its errors, men who will inspire with fresh zeal the flagging efforts of the few laborers, men whose hearts are warm with Christian love, and whose hands are eager to go about the Master's work. SW January 26, 1904, par. 9
The unsearchable riches of Christ are to be presented to the world in contrast with the poverty of sin, and the delusive pleasures of the world. Only a heart brimming with the love of God, only a mind made active by constant study of eternal interests, can properly set forth the beauties of the truth of God. SW January 26, 1904, par. 10
Those who unreservedly give themselves to this work, who faithfully reflect the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, fulfilling their mission with fidelity and love, will be recompensed on earth by the sweet consciousness of duty performed, and in the bright hereafter, when the saints shall come into their inheritance, the devoted worker for Christ will be welcomed into the joy of his Lord, hearing from the Master's lips the commendation, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” SW January 26, 1904, par. 11
Courage in the Lord
Great things are before us, and we want to call the people from their indifference to get ready. Things that are eternal crowd upon my vision day and night; the things that are temporal fade from my sight. We are not now to cast away our confidence, but are to have firm assurance, firmer than ever before. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us, and he will help us to the end. We will look to the monumental pillars, reminders of what the Lord has done to comfort us and to save us from the hand of the destroyer. We are to keep fresh the memory of every pain the Lord has soothed, every anxiety he has removed, every fear he has dispelled, every want he has supplied, every mercy he has bestowed. Thus we are to strengthen ourselves for the remainder of our pilgrimage. We can not but look forward to new perplexities in the coming conflict; but we may look at that which is past as well as at that which is to come, and say, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” The trial will not exceed the strength given to bear it. SW January 26, 1904, par. 12
We have only a little while to wage the warfare; then Christ will come, and the conflict will close. Then our last efforts to work with Christ and advance his kingdom, will have been made. Some who have stood at the fore-front of the battle, zealously resisting incoming evil, fall at the post of duty; the living gaze sorrowfully at the fallen heroes; but there is no time to cease work. They must close up the ranks, seize the banner from the hand palsied by death, and with renewed energy vindicate the truth and the honor of Christ. As never before, resistance must be made against sin,—against the powers of darkness. The time demands energetic and determined activity on the part of those who believe present truth. If the time seems long as we wait for our Deliverer to come; if, bowed by affliction and worn with toil, we feel impatient to receive an honorable release from the warfare, let us remember—and let the remembrance check every murmur—that we are left on earth to encounter storm and tempest, to perfect Christian character, to become better acquainted with God our Father and with Christ our elder brother, and to work for the Master in winning many souls to Christ. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” SW January 26, 1904, par. 13
Mrs. E. G. White