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Gracious Words Needed, August 10
And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which
proceeded out of his mouth.
Luke 4:22
.
This morning my heart is drawn out to God in earnest longing of soul for
the Holy Spirit’s guidance. What words can I speak that will be appreciated
and understood? When Christ was in our world He said to the Pharisees and
scribes, “Why do ye not understand my words and appreciate them?” They were
continually placing their own construction upon the plain words of truth that fell
from His lips....
With clearness and power He spoke the words that were to come down to our
time as a treasure of goodness. What precious words they were, and how full
of encouragement! From His divine lips there fell with fullness and abundant
assurance the benedictions that showed Him to be the fountain of all goodness,
and that it was His prerogative to bless and impress the minds of all present. He
was engaged in His peculiar, sacred province, and the treasures of eternity were at
His command. In the disposal of them He knew no control. It was no robbery with
Him to act in the office of God. In His blessings He embraced those who were to
compose His kingdom in this world. He had brought into the world every blessing
essential to the happiness and joy of every soul, and before that vast assembly
He presented the riches of the grace of heaven, the accumulated treasures of the
eternal, everlasting Father....
There were occasions when Christ spoke with an authority that sent His words
home with irresistible force, with an overwhelming sense of the greatness of the
Speaker, and the human agencies shrank into nothingness in comparison with the
One before them. They were deeply moved. Their minds were impressed that He
was repeating the command from the most excellent glory. As He summoned the
world to listen, they were spellbound and entranced, and conviction came to their
minds. Every word made for itself a place, and the hearers believed and received
the words that they had no power to resist. Every word He uttered seemed to the
hearers as the life of God....
“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare
witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh
after me is preferred before me: for he was before me” (
John 1:14, 15
). Yes, He
was before John. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by
night, He led the children of Israel through the wilderness. “And of His fulness
have all we received, and grace for grace.”—
Manuscript 118, August 10, 1905
,
“A Divine Saviour.”
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