52
Daughters of God
life will be an unconquerable power for good.—
The Desire of Ages,
525 (1898)
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Like Mary, we need to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn of Him,
having chosen that better part which will never be taken from us. Like
Martha we need to be ever abounding in the work of the Lord. The
higher Christian attainments can be reached only by being much on
our knees in sincere prayer.... One fiber of the root of selfishness
remaining in the soul will spring up when least expected, and thereby
will many be defiled.—
That I May Know Him, 351 (1894)
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In the inspired record we are told that “Jesus loved Martha, and her
sister, and Lazarus,” yet after He received the message [that Lazarus
was sick], “he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”
Guided by divine wisdom, He did not go at once to His beloved
friends. The message that came to Him did not meet with an immediate
response. Mary and Martha did not say, “Lord, come at once and heal
our brother.” They had confidence in Jesus, believing that He would
do what was best for them. At length He said to His disciples, “Our
friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.”—
[59]
Manuscript Releases 21:111 (1892)
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When He [Jesus] reached Bethany He heard from several persons
that Lazarus was dead, and had been buried four days.... Martha has-
tened to meet Him; she told Him of her brother’s death, saying, “Lord,
if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” In her disappoint-
ment and grief she had not lost confidence in Jesus, and added, “But
I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will
give it unto thee.” Jesus encouraged her faith by declaring to her, “Thy
brother shall rise again”....
When Jesus asked Martha: “Believest thou?” she answered by a
confession of her faith: “Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the
Son of God, which should come into the world.” Thus Martha declared
her belief in the Messiahship of Jesus, and that He was able to perform
any work which it pleased Him to do. Jesus bade Martha call her
sister, and the friends that had come to comfort the afflicted women.
When Mary came she fell at the feet of Jesus, also crying, “Lord, if
thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” At the sight of all
this distress, Jesus “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said,
Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.”