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We cannot Do Without God, May 28
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.
John 8:12
.
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, con-
scious 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
;
8:12
;
John 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.
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