Meeting Sabbathkeeping Problems
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Christ is here teaching a precious lesson in regard to His service.
Whatever experiences may come to you, He says, serve God. Whatever
inconveniences and hardships you may encounter, trust in the Lord.
We have no cause to worry and fear if we take our position for the
truth, that we and our families will suffer. To do this is to manifest
unbelief in God. “Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these
things,” the Saviour says. If we would study the Word more faithfully,
we would increase in faith.—
Manuscript 83, 1909
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Time to Extend a Helping Hand—It is an important time now
for these localities where an interest has been awakened. A large
number ... are in the valley of decision. O that the Lord will give to
His servants wisdom to speak to these souls such words as shall give
them courage to confess the truth and surrender their will, their heart’s
entire devotion, to God. We pray that the Lord will inspire with faith
these souls who are convinced of the truth, that the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord, that they shall not confer with their own feelings
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and let the enemy lead them to decide that the sacrifice is too great.
They will suffer loss in temporal matters, and a helping hand must
not be wanting. Many ask, “How can we support our families? We
shall lose our positions as soon as we decide to keep holy the seventh
day and do no work on the Sabbath. Our families, shall they starve?”
What can we say? Poverty and want are seen everywhere, and honest
souls know not what to do. They dare not venture out; yet they are
fully convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. They
know that God blessed the seventh day and set it apart for man to
observe as a memorial of His creating of the world in six days and His
rest upon the seventh day.
When we see the difficulties standing like mountains before their
souls, the prospect of want to themselves and children staring them in
the face, our hearts are pained. Many a one says, “I want to observe the
seventh day, but as soon as I state to my employer that I have decided
to keep the Sabbath, I shall be discharged.” Hundreds are waiting to
step into any place made vacant. I am sorely troubled. All we can do
is to encourage them to have faith, and pray for them. Oh, sometimes
I wish I had a million dollars. I could use every dollar in this work....
Many become decided transgressors of God’s holy law as the
result of union, concord, and co-operation with companions who are
instruments of Satan. God sends them light to undeceive them, but