Importance of Economy
95
the deeds done in the body, whether they are good or whether they are
evil. The Lord will not pass over the embezzlement of His goods. He
is testing men to see who will be fit subjects for His kingdom above;
for if they disregard His claims here, they will disregard them in the
kingdom of heaven. Suppose that all who profess to be followers of
Christ should withhold from the Lord His entrusted goods, and appro-
priate His talents to their own use and for the advancement of their
own glory, how would the work of God move forward in the world?
How would those in other nations ever receive the message of truth?
The Lord does not rain down money from heaven, but He honors man
by entrusting to him His treasures, and He tells him what he must
do. Read carefully and prayerfully the instruction the Lord has given
to you in
Malachi 3:8-12
.—
Letter 31, 1891
. (
Special Testimonies
Concerning the Work and Workers in the Pacific Press, 39, 40
.)
Faith in Times of Economic Crisis—You have a desire to walk
by sight. God would have you learn to walk by faith. You will be often
tempted to look at appearance, but this will not do. You must walk
by faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.” But when you looked at your depleted treasury, the
dark shadows encircled you, and your faith failed. Then was the time
to talk faith and courage, to rise to the emergency. The work is the
Lord’s, ... not ours, and we can safely leave it in His hands. Daniel
sought the Lord when brought into trying places, and when in trouble,
we must pray earnestly to God. You have not moved wisely in all
things. You need to learn the lesson of self-denial and self-sacrifice.
You must be willing to receive less money in an emergency. God will
be glorified in this.—
Letter 27, 1896
.
Personal Economy Essential to Workers in God’s Cause [
On
November 3, 1892, a publishing house manager wrote to Mrs. E. G.
White to inform her that he had decided to leave the institution for
employment outside the denominational work because of personal fi-
nancial embarrassment. He had not managed to live within his income,
had become indebted to the institution to the total amount of $1,244
during a period of eight years. In the meantime he had accumulated
in like manner a debt at the sanitarium. Both institutions were kindly
requesting him to settle these accounts. He felt that under the cir-
cumstances he would be justified in leaving denominational work for
outside employment paying higher wages, with the hope of paying his