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Counsels on Sabbath School Work
they close their eyes to truths which they do not wish to practice. An
understanding of Bible truth depends not so much on the power of
intellect brought to the search as on the singleness of purpose, the
earnest longing after righteousness.
The Bible should never be studied without prayer. The Holy Spirit
alone can cause us to feel the importance of those things easy to be un-
derstood, or prevent us from wresting truths difficult of comprehension.
It is the office of heavenly angels to prepare the heart so to comprehend
God’s word that we shall be charmed with its beauty, admonished by
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its warnings, or animated and strengthened by its promises. We should
make the psalmist’s petition our own, “Open Thou mine eyes, that
I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Temptations often
appear irresistible because, through neglect of prayer and the study of
the Bible, the tempted one cannot readily remember God’s promises
and meet Satan with the Scripture weapons. But angels are round
about those who are willing to be taught in divine things; and in the
time of great necessity, they will bring to their remembrance the very
truths which are needed.—
Testimonies on Sabbath-School Work, 121,
122
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God’s Manner of Imparting Knowledge
Day by day Jesus gained knowledge from the great library of
animate and inanimate nature. He who had created all things, at whose
word of power hill and vale, river and tree, had come into being, was
now a child of humanity, and He studied the lessons which His own
hand had written in leaf and flower and tree. The parables, by which,
during His ministry, Jesus loved to teach His lessons of truth, show how
open His spirit was to the sweet influence of nature, and how, during
those hidden years, He delighted to gather the spiritual teachings from
all the surroundings of daily life. To Jesus the significance of the
word and the works of God unfolded gradually, as He was thinking,
seeking to understand the reason of things, as any youth may seek to
understand.
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Every child may gain knowledge, as Jesus did, from the works
of nature and the pages of God’s holy word. As we try to become
acquainted with our heavenly Father through His holy word, angels
will come near, our minds will be strengthened, our character will