Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12, 13.
Talk of God’s blessings. Let us … bring all the pleasantness possible into our lives. When others begin to question and criticize, let us be determined, either by silence or by turning the conversation into another channel, to cut off the words which would not be spoken in wisdom. We are to continue to wait upon the Lord by humble prayer and supplication, making every effort to keep the door of our lips, so that we shall not utter one foolish word savoring of unbelief.
We are to talk faith, practicing the very things we have asked the Lord to give us grace to do. Thus we work out our own salvation, trying to help and save those in trouble by faithful words and kind deeds. It is God which worketh in us, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The finite and the infinite are to unite in accomplishing the work that needs to be done. God has pledged himself to supply us with strength, cheerfulness, pleasantness, and joyfulness in our Saviour. [When we are] abiding in Him, the word that would cast a shadow over others is left unspoken.
Let us remember that everyone has some dark spot in his experience. Let us do all we can to bring cheerfulness and hope into the lives of others. What a blessing this will be to them. In their turn they will speak words of good cheer to others to bring sunshine into their hearts. As we do this work, we shall be in a position to realize that the Lord hears our prayers, because we work in harmony with them, fulfilling all the duty we owe to God and to ourselves. We shall go about our work in a thankful, prayerful frame of mind, but by faith we claim the promise, “Ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye shall find.”
Yes, we shall find the answer to our prayers; for God will do exceedingly abundantly above our highest expectation. What precious witness we shall then bear for God. What an honor we shall be to the truth of His word. We shall be able to say, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies” (Psalm 40:1-4).—Letter 87, June 20, 1900, to Edson and Emma White.
The Upward Look p. 185
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-R is having troubles at work. Please pray. B
—-I could really use some prayer please. I’ve been feeling really sad and lonely and I dont know what to do anymore. Kirby
—-Please pray for me and my critically ill covid patient for healing. Emerson
—-Please pray my son surrenders his life to God! Dan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
Listening to stories about the recent pandemic, I was reminded of something that I heard about some years ago. It was an experience that had happened quite a few years before that. A certain nurse who worked in a local hospital had told of this experience to a friend, who, in turn, told it to me. There had been a devastating tornado in the area with lots of casulties. The hospitals were full of the injured. The hospital staff were rushing between them doing all that they could. They really needed more workers, but every available worker was already helping.
Suddenly an older man appeared and said to the lady’s friend, “What do you want me to do?” The friend told him. He quickly did it and returned for more assignments. For hours this man did all the work that the friend gave him to do. Only when things slowed down a little did they have time to talk. The man eyed some equipment curiously and asked what it was. The lady was shocked. He asked, “Don’t you work here?” The man told him that he did not. He said, “I was watching the news and heard that call for help, so I walked over to help you.”
Now the friend was even more surprised. Here was a man who had been working hard all day without a thought of pay. He did it because he was needed. He did it because he had compassion on all those who were suffering. This is how we should be. All around us are the spiritually dead and dying. All around us there is a cry for help. Will we be as that man? Will we respond to the call? Will we work to bring souls to Jesus without the thought of reward? Will we do all that our Master asks us to do? Jesus asks, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” John 4:35,36 “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Matt 9:37,38
Even though we’ve read these words many times, how often we are at ease and do not want to put forth the effort to save those perishing in sin. How many times we feel uneasy speaking of the One Who gave His life, so that we can live forever. How often we are doing anything except working in the Master’s vineyard. James tells us, “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James 4:17 There will come a time when the harvest is past. There will be a time when Jesus proclaims, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev 22:11 How many there will be in that day who exclaim, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”Jer 8:20
My we daily ask our Dear Saviour to open our eyes to opportunities to witness. May we ask Him to speak through us, that others may be drawn to our Great Redeemer. May we go forward proclaiming the good news of Salvation in our words and in our actions to those around us is my prayer.
Rose
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/5BZFZ4cEdVA/god-helps-us-accomplish-his-will.html
