Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers

God Orders His Work

I am grieved as I see men seeking to mark out the precise course that missionaries in far-off lands shall pursue. We must give matters more into the hands of Him whom we profess to follow, that He may work through His appointed agents as He shall see fit. We should not think that everything should be brought under the jurisdiction of a few finite men, who need to look constantly to God for wisdom or else they will make grave blunders. The Lord does not design to have everything center in Battle Creek. [See Appendix.] He would have men stand aside, and not feel that His work depends wholly upon them and that every question must be referred to their judgment. It is difficult for me to express what I desire to, but in the name of the Lord I lift the danger signal. Responsible men should fear and tremble for themselves. They should not feel competent to run ahead of Him who has said, “Follow Me.” God is not pleased that men in distant lands should have to wait before they can venture to make a move. We should believe in the power of the Lord to guide, for He has the ordering of His own work. He will give wisdom and understanding to His representative men in every part of His great moral vineyard. He says, “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit.” To my brethren in Battle Creek I would say: The Lord does not need to send His orders to His messengers in all parts of the world through Battle Creek. He does not lay this responsibility upon all those who assume to say to His workers, “Do this,” and “Thou shalt not do that.” God is dishonored when men are led to look to Battle Creek to so large a degree. TM 212.1

The people of every country have their own peculiar, distinctive characteristics, and it is necessary that men should be wise in order that they may know how to adapt themselves to the peculiar ideas of the people, and so introduce the truth that they may do them good. They must be able to understand and meet their wants. Circumstances will arise which demand immediate action, and it will be necessary that those who are right on the field should take hold of the interest, and do the thing that is necessary to be done under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Should they wait in a time of crisis for direction to come from Battle Creek as to what they should do, they might lose much. The men who are handling the work should be faithful stewards of the grace of God. They should be men of faith, and they should be encouraged to look to God, and to trust in Him. TM 213.1