We Cannot Do Without God

There is no one who has pursued a wrong course whom Jesus will not pardon and receive and bless if he will come to Him believingly and cast himself, conscious of his weakness and helplessness, upon His sympathy and His strength….

What a comforting thought that Jesus is touched with the feelings of our infirmities! He has been tempted in all points as we are tempted, and just the right kind of help has been provided for us, that if we only put our feet in the prints of Jesus’ footsteps, we will be safe. He has hallowed the path His feet have trod. We hear His inviting voice, “Follow Me. I am the Light of the world. They that follow Me shall not walk in darkness. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (see Matthew 4:19; John 8:12; 16:33).

In actual experience Christ has overcome the world, and how great is His love to us when He invites us to come to Him in all our afflictions, distresses, heartaches, and perplexities, with the assurance that He will help us. He will bring health and brightness into our lives. If we place our hand in the hand of Jesus Christ, He will place our feet on solid rock, a better foundation than we ever had before. He will make us more strong in His strength and He will work with all our efforts.

Then when our own souls have experienced His healing touch we are brought into close fellowship with Jesus and we will be laborers together with God not only to restore the erring, to repair broken hearts and souls, but to impart courage and faith and confidence. This is the work of God’s laborers—to bring to Jesus souls who have gone away from His direct teachings and have apparently gone to pieces on the rocks and reefs of sin. These broken lives, which have been apparently hopeless, He promises to make whole.

It is more difficult to teach one who thinks he knows it all than one who feels his inefficiency and his ignorance. I speak understandingly when I say, The work of repairing souls broken down through errors, through manifest sin, is the most difficult we can do. Some pet sin has been cultivated which has taken the lines of control, one bad habit has not been vigorously fought and conquered, and oh, how hard [it is] to efface the bruises that soul has sustained….

I appeal to you to delay not, but to be a wise worker for God, to put forth every effort to redeem the time. Let nothing deter you…. The Lord will accept consecrated, devoted effort on your part.—Letter 56, May 28, 1888, to a private-practice physician who had lost his way spiritually.
The Upward Look p. 162
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for T who has the flu. B
—-Prayer request for my mother. Pray for peace and to be pain free and that we get everything completed that she wants before her time is up. She is battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Bridget
—-I need my prayer warriors again! My daughter Jessica is going to court today at 9:00 a.m for finalizing her divorce. Her husband is abusive and manipulative and is divorcing her due to her Adventist beliefs. They have two young boys together. Now last minute he told her he wants to take the boys and he is ready to go to trial if need be to get his way. My daughter is falling apart and has no representation. Her husband has a very shrewd law firm. She has no money and is in school full time. Please claim Proverbs 21:1 that the heart of the ‘judge’ is in God’s hand and He will direct it wherever He wills. Thank you prayer warriors because I know prayer can change impossible situations. Also Jessica is about to have a breakdown so she needs strength. Shari
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago, Ronnie Jay was out in our yard and noticed a fairly large hole. He began exploring this hole that was about as big around as his fist. It looked like some kind of animal’s grassy nest. We were not sure what made it, but I was sure it was not from the snake he had found evidence of one summer a few years before. He had been mowing the grass then and had found part of a snakeskin about three feet long. It was incomplete so we knew the snake was longer and very large, but snakes don’t make grassy nests as far as I know, so this nest was not from it.
If Ronnie Jay had not found the small animal nest or that shed skin, we never would have known about these visitors. Just as they gave witness to something having been in our yard, so we should leave evidence wherever we go. Even though we may not realize it, we have touched the lives of those around us. Are they any closer to God because of our presence? “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” Isa 43:10,11
John the Baptist is a good example of this principle. His whole life witnessed to the work given Him by God. From his birth he was set aside for this special work. The disciple John speaks of him, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:6-9 John the Baptist did not live a life of ease. He even separated himself from the temptations of the day and dwelt in the wilderness. Although he lived in a solitary place, people went out to the wilderness to hear him. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. . . .I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” Matt Matt 3:1-11 Jesus, speaking of John, said, “This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Luke 7:27, 28
We, too, have the opportunity of proclaiming the coming of Jesus. Most are not called to live in such austerity as was John, but all proclaim the one who has our heart. We cannot hide the evidence of who is our master any more than the animals could hide the evidence of their presence in my yard.
May others take “knowledge of [us], that [we have] been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 May we leave evidence of our walk with God wherever we go. May we lead those we meet to the foot of the cross, that they may receive the grace and blessing and eternal life that our Great Redeemer longs to impart.
Rose