The Yoke of Christ

The following is an excerpt from the 34th chapter of Desire of Ages

All are weighed down with burdens that only Christ can remove. The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. If we were left to bear this burden, it would crush us. But the Sinless One has taken our place. “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isa. 53:6. He has borne the burden of our guilt. He will take the load from our weary shoulders. He will give us rest. The burden of care and sorrow also He will bear. He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He carries us upon His heart…

Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. The Lord “telleth the number of the stars;” and yet “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Ps. 147:4, 3. “Come unto Me,” is His invitation.

Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer…. We are to take upon us His yoke, that we may be co-workers with Him. The yoke that binds to service is the law of God.

The great law of love… is that which binds the human worker to the will of God…. [God] desires that we shall patiently and wisely take up the duties of service. The yoke of service Christ Himself has borne in humanity. He said, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Psalm 40:8. “I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” John 6:38. Love for God, zeal for His glory, and love for fallen humanity, brought Jesus to earth to suffer and to die. This was the controlling power of His life. This principle He bids us adopt.

There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world’s standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs…. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and His promise is that all things needful to them for this life shall be added. Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief…. We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from Him meekness and lowliness. Redemption is that process by which the soul is trained for heaven. This training means a knowledge of Christ. It means emancipation from ideas, habits, and practices that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness. The soul must be delivered from all that is opposed to loyalty to God.

[Christ] was never elated by applause, nor dejected by censure or disappointment. Amid the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage. But many who profess to be His followers have an anxious, troubled heart, because they are afraid to trust themselves with God. They do not make a complete surrender to Him; for they shrink from the consequences that such a surrender may involve. Unless they do make this ]surrender, they cannot find peace.

It is the love of self that brings unrest. When we are born from above, the same mind will be in us that was in Jesus, the mind that led Him to humble Himself that we might be saved. Then we shall not be seeking the highest place. We shall desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. We shall understand that the value of our work does not consist in making a show and noise in the world, and in being active and zealous in our own strength. The value of our work is in proportion to the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Trust in God brings holier qualities of mind, so that in patience we may possess our souls.

When our will is swallowed up in the will of God, and we use His gifts to bless others, we shall find life’s burden light. He who walks in the way of God’s commandments is walking in company with Christ, and in His love the heart is at rest. When Moses prayed, “Show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee,” the Lord answered him, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” And through the prophets the message was given, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Exodus 33:13, 14; Jeremiah 6:16. And He says, “O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:18.

Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest. The Lord says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” Isaiah 26:3. Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory—character—of Christ will be received into the Paradise of God.

Seeking the Lord through His Word

The point of this post it to show that God’s word can powerfully change your life. The objective of studying God’s word is to get to know Jesus and if you seek Him, He will help you in your life’s struggles.

The Power of God’s Word
“The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword… a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. God’s Word has creative power (Psalm 33:6), the power of healing and deliverance (Psalm 107:20), and the power to cleanse the sin-sick soul (Psalm 119:9, John 15:3). The power behind God’s word isn’t found in the letters of the biblical text, but rather in the Spirit, “for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). We need the Holy Spirit to understand spiritual things and God is more than willing to give His Spirit to those who ask (1 Corinthians 2:14, Luke 11:13).

The same Spirit which inspired scripture, will testify of Jesus through scripture (2 Timothy 3:16, John 15:26-27, John 5:39). This is why we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we read scripture. We need to pray to receive the Holy Spirit, who will convict us of sin and then we will be forgiven and cleansed as we confess our sins to the Lord (Luke 11:13, John 16:8, 1 John 1:9).

The Power to Overcome
We need to seek the Lord daily through the prayerful reading of God’s Word so that His Spirit will continue to transform us into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). To overcome temptation, you need to watch and pray (Matthew 26:41), then “when the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19. God’s Spirit will bring the Lord’s words to your memory to help you overcome (John 14:26). “If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13. If you’re about to fall and lose your hold on God, the Lord promises to uphold you and keep you from stumbling (Isaiah 41:10, Jude 1:24). As you see the changes God does in your life, your faith will be strengthened in knowing that He keeps His promises.

The Simplicity of Knowing Jesus, Personally
Why worry about uncertainties when you have the sure word of God (2 Peter 1:19)? Why complicate the plain and simple revelation of God with worries about what you don’t know (Deuteronomy 29:29)? There is no point in “always learning” if you aren’t faithful with the little things that God has already revealed (Luke 19:17). “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” 1 Corinthians 8:1. What you need to know isn’t a creed or a set of facts, you need to know a Person, He is God, and He is love (Jeremiah 9:24, 1 John 4:8).

When Jesus prayed to the Father for those who would believe in Him, He said “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3. Eternal Life is as simple as knowing and believing God and His Son Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh. (John 1:14).

Knowing Jesus doesn’t get old
Life is made simple in knowing and trusting in the Lord and yet we find a “mystery” that never gets old. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16. This mystery is to be seen in our lives: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation and it is a mystery that even the angels desire to look into (Romans 1:16, 1 Peter 1:12).

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Seek the Lord meditating on His Word with prayer
Personally, I can resonate with what the Psalmist says here to the Lord: “I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.” Psalm 119:146-148. The more you get to know the Lord through His Word, you too will find yourself saying as the Psalmist:, “I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.” Psalm 16:7

Seek the Lord and His strength
Don’t cling to man, but cling to the Lord, for He is your life (Deuteronomy 30:20). Don’t seek the mortal face of man, “for all flesh is grass.. But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:6, 8. “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” Psalm 105:4. Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7

Seek God for help and deliverance
“Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Isaiah 55:6-7. For He “neither faints nor is weary.” Isaiah 40:28. Let the “The Lord strong and mighty” fight your battles (Psalm 24:8). Say like the Psalmist, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121. The Lord says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalm 50:15.

When you’re delivered, you’ll say, “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4. “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.” Psalm 27:14. I sometimes used to fear that I would die from worrying too much about things (due to insomnia and heart problems). Then, I’d said within myself “The Lord is the strength of my life” (Psalm 27:1) and I claimed this promise: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” (Psalm 118:17). God has also been teaching me to do this: “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”. Psalm 27:14.

The Lord is Peace

I was looking for verses that contain the phrase “be with you” and the word “fear”, then came across Judges 6:23. Now first you’d have to understand the context of what’s going on. Gideon is visited by the Angel of the Lord who told him that the Lord is with him and tells him that he will help deliver Israel from the Midianites. Gideon, unaware that this was the Lord’s Angel speaking to him asks for a sign. Gideon brings an offering to the Lord, the offering is consumed, and then the Lord’s Angel vanishes from sight. That’s when Gideon gets scared and we read this:

Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.” Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Judges 6:22-24

In the same search results (in which I came across this) I also found this bible promise:

“And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

The Mercy and Truth of God’s Word

God’s Word is Eternal

Psalm 119:89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.

Isaiah 40:6-8 The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

God’s thoughts are higher than ours

Isaiah 55:6-11 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

God’s Mercy is high toward us and is everlasting

Psalm 103:11-18 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

Psalm 100:1-5 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

God’s Mercy and Truth Reach High

Psalm 57:9-10
I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds.

God’s Word is Truth, Became Flesh, Full of Grace and Truth

Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

John 1:14 And the Word became 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.

Mercy and Truth Met Together

Proverbs 16:6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

Psalm 85:10 
Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.

Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.

Proverbs 3:3-4 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

God’s Mercy and Sanctification

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.

  Peter 1:22-23 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

Luke 6:35-36 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

Hebrews 12:14-15  Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.

Lamentations 3:22-24 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Fear of The Lord

Revelation 14:7
Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come;
and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.

The wicked don’t fear God and they have no peace

Psalm 36:1
An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.

Isaiah 57:20-21
…the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest
“There is no peace,” Says my God, “for the wicked.”

The Lord says “Be Still”
“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10.
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves…Psalm 100:3

Mark 4:39
Then [Jesus] arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”
And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

Instruction of wisdom and humility
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

Psalm 25:9 The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Trusting Him
Psalm 34:8-10
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
ut those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

Psalm 115:11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Depart from evil
Psalm 34:11-14
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

Proverbs 16:6
In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil

Hate what God hates
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.

Proverbs 6:16-19
These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

Psalm 97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Knowing Him is understanding
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Jeremiah 9:24
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they may know You,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God…

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know anything among you
except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

The law of the wise, a law of love
Proverbs 13:14
The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

Psalm 111:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.

John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Turning away from snares
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.

Proverbs 12:13
The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
But the righteous will come through trouble.

Proverbs 29:6
By transgression an evil man is snared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.

The fear we shouldn’t have

Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man brings a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Love casts away the fear

1 John 4:17-19
Love has been perfected among us in this:
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment;
because as He is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment.
But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
We love Him because He first loved us.

Look and Live

Isaiah 45:22
Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.

Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

The Snare of Discontentment

Numbers 21:4-5 Then [the Israelites] journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”

Because they had been shielded by divine power they had not realized the countless dangers by which they were continually surrounded. In their ingratitude and unbelief they had anticipated death, and now the Lord permitted death to come upon them. The poisonous serpents that infested the wilderness were called fiery serpents, on account of the terrible effects produced by their sting, it causing violent inflammation and speedy death. As the protecting hand of God was removed from Israel, great numbers of the people were attacked by these venomous creatures. [Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 429]

1 Timothy 6:6-9 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

How to resist discontentment: Gratitude and Praise

Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death… Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul. “A merry [rejoicing] heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22. [Ministry of Healing, p. 241]

Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of gratitude and praise. It is a positive duty to resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings–as much a duty as it is to pray. If we are heaven-bound, how can we go as a band of mourners, groaning and complaining all along the way to our Father’s house? Those professed Christians who are constantly complaining, and who seem to think cheerfulness and happiness a sin, have not genuine religion. [Ministry of Healing, p. 251]

Song is a weapon that we can always use against discouragement. As we thus open the heart to the sunlight of the Saviour’s presence, we shall have health and His blessing. [Ministry of Healing, p. 254]

The bible encourages gratitude and praise:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Colossians 3:16

Stay your mind upon God

Psalm 121:1-2
I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

While engaged in our daily work, we should lift the soul to heaven in prayer. These silent petitions rise like incense before the throne of grace; and the enemy is baffled. The Christian whose heart is thus stayed upon God cannot be overcome. No evil arts can destroy his peace. All the promises of God’s Word, all the power of divine grace, all the resources of Jehovah, are pledged to secure his deliverance. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. And God was with him, a present help in every time of need. [Messages to Young People, p. 249]

Luke 21:25-28 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

Rest in the sheltering arms of Jesus, and do not worry yourself out of His arms; just believe, and praise God, and go forward. We are almost home. The Lord is coming. “Look up, and lift up your head; for your redemption draweth nigh.” [Luke 21:28.] [Lt49-1888]

Colossians 3:1-4 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Matthew 6:19-21 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Colossians 1:26-27 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:31-34 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 24:12-14 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Sin’s Antidote: Look and Live

Numbers 21:6-9 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 3:14-15
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so was the Son of man lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life

All who have ever lived upon the earth have felt the deadly sting of “that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan.” Revelation 12:9. The fatal effects of sin can be removed only by the provision that God has made. The Israelites saved their lives by looking upon the uplifted serpent. That look implied faith. They lived because they believed God’s word, and trusted in the means provided for their recovery. So the sinner may look to Christ, and live. He receives pardon through faith in the atoning sacrifice. Unlike the inert and lifeless symbol, Christ has power and virtue in Himself to heal the repenting sinner.

While the sinner cannot save himself, he still has something to do to secure salvation. “Him that cometh to Me,” says Christ, “I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. But we must come to Him; and when we repent of our sins, we must believe that He accepts and pardons us. Faith is the gift of God, but the power to exercise it is ours. Faith is the hand by which the soul takes hold upon the divine offers of grace and mercy.

Nothing but the righteousness of Christ can entitle us to one of the blessings of the covenant of grace. There are many who have long desired and tried to obtain these blessings, but have not received them, because they have cherished the idea that they could do something to make themselves worthy of them. They have not looked away from self, believing that Jesus is an all-sufficient Saviour. We must not think that our own merits will save us; Christ is our only hope of salvation. “For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

When we trust God fully, when we rely upon the merits of Jesus as a sin-pardoning Saviour, we shall receive all the help that we can desire. Let none look to self, as though they had power to save themselves. Jesus died for us because we were helpless to do this. In Him is our hope, our justification, our righteousness. When we see our sinfulness we should not despond and fear that we have no Saviour, or that He has no thoughts of mercy toward us. At this very time He is inviting us to come to Him in our helplessness and be saved.

Many of the Israelites saw no help in the remedy which Heaven had appointed. The dead and dying were all around them, and they knew that, without divine aid, their own fate was certain; but they continued to lament their wounds, their pains, their sure death, until their strength was gone, and their eyes were glazed, when they might have had instant healing. If we are conscious of our needs, we should not devote all our powers to mourning over them. While we realize our helpless condition without Christ, we are not to yield to discouragement, but rely upon the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. Look and live. Jesus has pledged His word; He will save all who come unto Him. Though millions who need to be healed will reject His offered mercy, not one who trusts in His merits will be left to perish.

Many are unwilling to accept of Christ until the whole mystery of the plan of salvation shall be made plain to them. They refuse the look of faith, although they see that thousands have looked, and have felt the efficacy of looking, to the cross of Christ. Many wander in the mazes of philosophy, in search of reasons and evidence which they will never find, while they reject the evidence which God has been pleased to give. They refuse to walk in the light of the Sun of Righteousness, until the reason of its shining shall be explained. All who persist in this course will fail to come to a knowledge of the truth. God will never remove every occasion for doubt. He gives sufficient evidence on which to base faith, and if this is not accepted, the mind is left in darkness. If those who were bitten by the serpents had stopped to doubt and question before they would consent to look, they would have perished. It is our duty, first, to look; and the look of faith will give us life. [Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 431-432]

Look away from self to Jesus

When the mind dwells upon self, it is turned away from Christ, the source of strength and life. [Steps to Christ, p. 71]

It is not wise to look to ourselves and study our emotions. If we do this, the enemy will present difficulties and temptations that weaken faith and destroy courage. Closely to study our emotions and give way to our feelings is to entertain doubt and entangle ourselves in perplexity. We are to look away from self to Jesus. [MH 249]

We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved. All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength. Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him. Talk and think of Jesus. Let self be lost in Him. Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears. Say with the apostle Paul, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you. [Steps to Christ, p. 72]

By faith draw close to the precious Sin-bearer, and then cling to Him by faith. Do not worry; this will not help the matter at all. Believe that Christ Himself rebukes the enemy, and that he can have no more control over you. Believe that Satan has been rebuked. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up for you a standard against him. [Lt36-1900]

Forgetting self and abiding in Christ in order to serve others

Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites,”Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. The words of the psalmist express the same thought: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” And Isaiah gives the assurance, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 30:15. This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour’s invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: “Take My yoke upon you: . . . and ye shall find rest.” Matthew 11:29. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him. [Steps to Christ, p. 71]

If those who are suffering from ill-health would forget self in their interest for others; if they would fulfill the Lord’s command to minister to those more needy than themselves, they would realize the truthfulness of the prophetic promise, “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily.” [MH 257-258]

Matthew 6:22  The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.

John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

1 John 2:10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

Proverbs 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

Remember how God has worked in your life

Deuteronomy 4:7-10 For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day? Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

Deuteronomy 8:2 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you….

It is for our own benefit to keep every gift of God fresh in our memory. By this means faith is strengthened to claim and to receive more and more. There is greater encouragement for us in the least blessing we ourselves receive from God than in all the accounts we can read of the faith and experience of others. The soul that responds to the grace of God shall be like a watered garden. His health shall spring forth speedily; his light shall rise in obscurity, and the glory of the Lord shall be seen upon him. [The Ministry of Healing, p. 100]

Look to Jesus and be transformed

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Did not our Exemplar tread a hard, self-denying, self-sacrificing, humble path on our account in order to save us? He encountered difficulties, experienced disappointments, and suffered reproach and affliction in His work of saving us. And shall we refuse to follow where the King of glory has led the way? Shall we complain of hardship and trial in the work of overcoming on our own account, when we remember the sufferings of our Redeemer in the wilderness of temptation, in the Garden of Gethsemane, and on Calvary? All these were endured to show us the way and to bring us the divine help that we must have or perish. [3T 371]

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. [Desire of Ages, p. 83]

Fullness of Joy

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11. FLB 226.1

The religion of Jesus is joy, peace, and happiness.

All Heaven is interested in the happiness of man. Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues of joy to any of His creatures. The divine requirements call upon us to shun those indulgences that would bring suffering and disappointment, that would close to us the door of happiness and heaven…. He [the world’s Redeemer] requires us to perform only those duties that will lead our steps to heights of bliss to which the disobedient can never attain. The true, joyous life of the soul is to have Christ formed within, the hope of glory.

Those who abide in Jesus will be happy, cheerful, and joyful in God. A subdued gentleness will mark the voice, reverence for spiritual and eternal things will be expressed in the actions, and music, joyful music, will echo from the lips, for it is wafted from the throne of God. This is the mystery of godliness, not easily explained, but nonetheless felt and enjoyed.

Words cannot describe the peace and joy possessed by him who takes God at His word. Trials do not disturb him, slights do not vex him. Self is crucified. Day by day his duties may become more taxing, his temptations stronger, his trials more severe; but he does not falter; for he receives strength equal to his need.

In those who possess it, the religion of Christ will reveal itself as a vitalizing, pervading principle, a living, working, spiritual energy. There will be manifest the freshness and power and joyousness of perpetual youth. The heart that receives the Word of God is not as a pool that evaporates, not like a broken cistern that loses its treasure. It is like the mountain stream fed by unfailing springs, whose cool, sparkling waters leap from rock to rock, refreshing the weary, the thirsty, the heavy laden.

Faith I Live By, p. 226

True Religion Promotes Health

[Wisdom’s] ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. Proverbs 3:17.

This world is not all sorrow and misery. “God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon the petals of every flower, and upon every spire of grass. Though the curse of sin has caused the earth to bring forth thorns and thistles, there are flowers upon the thistles and the thorns are hidden by roses. All things in nature testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy. His prohibitions and injunctions are not intended merely to display His authority, but in all that He does He has the well-being of His children in view. He does not require them to give up anything that it would be for their best interest to retain.

The opinion which prevails in some classes of society, that religion is not conducive to health or to happiness in this life, is one of the most mischievous of errors. The Scripture says: “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied” (Proverbs 19:23). “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm 34:12-14). The words of wisdom “are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22).

True religion brings man into harmony with the laws of God, physical, mental, and moral. It teaches self-control, serenity, temperance. Religion ennobles the mind, refines the taste, and sanctifies the judgment. It makes the soul a partaker of the purity of heaven. Faith in God’s love and overruling providence lightens the burdens of anxiety and care. It fills the heart with joy and contentment in the highest or the lowliest lot. Religion tends directly to promote health, to lengthen life, and to heighten our enjoyment of all its blessings. It opens to the soul a never-failing fountain of happiness. Would that all who have not chosen Christ might realize that He has something vastly better to offer them than they are seeking for themselves….

There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment the laws that control our physical being must be heeded. To secure a strong, well-balanced character, both the mental and the physical powers must be exercised and developed. What study can be more important … than that which treats of this wonderful organism that God has committed to us, and of the laws by which it may be preserved in health?—Patriarchs and Prophets, 600, 601.

Reflecting Christ, p. 153

An interesting quote:

As exercise increases the appetite, and gives strength and healthy vigor to the body, so will devotional exercises bring an increase of grace and spiritual vigor. [RH March 29, 1870]

An Abiding, Peaceful Trust

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.

A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ. Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might. So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self, but look to Christ. Let the mind dwell upon His love, upon the beauty, the perfection, of His character. Christ in His self-denial, Christ in His humiliation, Christ in His purity and holiness, Christ in His matchless love –this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation. It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.

Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites,”Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. The words of the psalmist express the same thought: “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” And Isaiah gives the assurance, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.” Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 30:15. This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour’s invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: “Take My yoke upon you: . . . and ye shall find rest.” Matthew 11:29. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him.

Steps to Christ, p. 70-71

Rest for the Restless

For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15.

Jesus invites the restless, the murmuring, the oppressed and sorrowing, to come to Him.

Jesus loves you and He wants your love. He would have you remember that He gave His precious life that you should not perish; and He will be unto you a present help in every time of need. Only look to Jesus and tell Him every perplexity and trial…. Ask Him to help and strengthen and bless you, and believe that He hears your prayers….

All heaven is looking upon you with deep interest. One soul for whom Christ has died is worth more than the whole world. I wish every young man and woman could appreciate the value of the human soul. If they would give themselves to Jesus just as they are, though sinful and polluted, He will accept them the very moment that they give themselves to Him, and Jesus will put His Spirit in the humble seeker’s heart. Whosoever cometh unto Him, He will in no wise cast out. You may love Jesus with your whole heart, and He will never disappoint that love and confidence. His words are life, comfort, and hope. Satan knows that all you have to do is to look to Jesus, an uplifted Saviour. The wounded, bruised, stricken soul will find in Jesus a balm for his wounds….

There will be peace, constant peace, flowing into the soul, for the rest is found in perfect submission to Jesus Christ. Obedience to God’s will finds the rest. The disciple that treads in the meek and lowly steps of the Redeemer finds rest which the world cannot give, and the world cannot take away. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3.

Lowliness and meekness of mind, which ever characterized the life of the divine Son of God, possessed by His true followers, bring contentment, peace, and happiness, that elevate them above the slavery of artificial life.

Our Father Cares, p. 98