58
The Desire of Ages
forth from the tomb, her sorrow would again be turned to joy. But
how much better she could have borne the anguish of His death if she
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had understood the Scriptures to which He was now trying to turn her
thoughts!
If Joseph and Mary had stayed their minds upon God by meditation
and prayer, they would have realized the sacredness of their trust, and
would not have lost sight of Jesus. By one day’s neglect they lost the
Saviour; but it cost them three days of anxious search to find Him.
So with us; by idle talk, evilspeaking, or neglect of prayer, we may
in one day lose the Saviour’s presence, and it may take many days of
sorrowful search to find Him, and regain the peace that we have lost.
In our association with one another, we should take heed lest we
forget Jesus, and pass along unmindful that He is not with us. When
we become absorbed in worldly things so that we have no thought
for Him in whom our hope of eternal life is centered, we separate
ourselves from Jesus and from the heavenly angels. These holy beings
cannot remain where the Saviour’s presence is not desired, and His
absence is not marked. This is why discouragement so often exists
among the professed followers of Christ.
Many attend religious services, and are refreshed and comforted
by the word of God; but through neglect of meditation, watchfulness,
and prayer, they lose the blessing, and find themselves more destitute
than before they received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly
with them. They do not see that the fault is their own. By separating
themselves from Jesus, they have shut away the light of His presence.
It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in
contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point,
and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones.
As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in
Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall
be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last,
we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of
the cross.
As we associate together, we may be a blessing to one another. If
we are Christ’s, our sweetest thoughts will be of Him. We shall love
to talk of Him; and as we speak to one another of His love, our hearts
will be softened by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of His