Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Timothy 6:17.

It is dangerous to give time, thought, and strength to the pursuit of worldly gain, even if success follows persevering effort, for in thus doing there is danger of making God and His righteousness secondary. It is better far to be in poverty, to endure disappointment and have our earthly hopes shattered, than to have our eternal interests imperiled. Flattering inducements may be presented to us, and we may think to obtain wealth and honor, and so set our heart and soul on worldly enterprises….

Money has become the measure of manhood in the world, and men are estimated, not by their integrity, but by the amount of wealth they possess. Thus it was in the days before the Flood….

Let us not be determined to get rich. If we see that poverty will be our portion in abiding in the simple truth, let us abide by the truth and enter into life. Jesus said that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” The devotees of the world may smile at this statement, but it is nevertheless the counsel of eternal wisdom…. Christians who are called into the world by their business, if they follow Christ, will bear their cross and meet their perplexities in the Spirit of Christ. They will not make the world their God, and give brain and bone and muscle to the service of mammon. They will realize that Heaven is looking upon them, and whatever success attends them, they will give glory to God. They will realize that God knows, as we do not, that a few more years will roll by and the treasures of earth be no more….

It is the vision of the world to come that balances the mind so that the things which are seen do not obtain control over the affections, which have been bought with an infinite price by the world’s Redeemer. Through the agency of the Holy Spirit the things unseen and eternal are brought before the soul, and the advantages of the eternal, imperishable treasure are made to appear before the mind’s eye in their attractive beauty. In this way we learn to look to the unseen and the eternal, and to esteem the reproaches of Christ greater value than the treasures of the world.—Signs of the Times, June 26, 1893.

From From the Heart

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. Hebrews 6:11.

The Lord looks with approval upon the works of His faithful servants…. It has always been the duty of God’s chosen people to labor unselfishly; but some neglect the work they ought to do, and others are overburdened to make up for their deficiencies. If all would cheerfully do their part, they would be sustained; but those who complain and murmur at every step will receive neither help nor reward.

God was displeased with the children of Israel because they murmured against Him and against Moses, whom He had sent to be their deliverer. In a marvelous manner He brought them out from their bondage in the land of Egypt, that He might elevate and ennoble them, and make them a praise in the earth. But there were difficulties to be encountered, and weariness and privations to be endured. It was necessary for them to bear these hardships. God was bringing them from a state of degradation and fitting them to occupy an honorable place among the nations, and to receive important and sacred trusts….

They forgot their bitter service in Egypt. They forgot the goodness and power of God displayed in their behalf in their deliverance from bondage. They forgot how their children were spared when the destroying angel passed over Egypt. They forgot the grand exhibition of divine power at the Red Sea, when Jehovah proclaimed, “Here shall thy proud waves be stayed,” and the waters were rolled together, forming a solid wall. They forgot that while they had crossed safely in the path that had been opened for them, the armies of their enemies, attempting to follow them, were overwhelmed by the waters of the sea….

God does not bind upon anyone burdens so heavy that at every step he must complain of the load he is obliged to bear. It is the friction, and not the constant motion, that wears the machinery. It is the continual worry, and not the work they do, that is killing these persons….

There is peace and contentment in the service of Christ. As He was about to leave His disciples, He made them this parting promise, … “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”—Signs of the Times, June 12, 1884.

From From the Heart

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1.

There are those who think they have made wonderful discoveries in science. They quote the opinions of learned people as though they considered them infallible, and teach the deductions of science as truths that cannot be controverted. And the Word of God, which is given as a lamp to the feet of the world-weary traveler, is judged by this standard, and pronounced wanting. The scientific research in which these individuals have indulged has proved a snare to them. It has clouded their minds, and they have drifted into skepticism. They have a consciousness of power, and instead of looking to the Source of all wisdom, they triumph in the smattering of knowledge they may have gained. They have exalted their human wisdom in opposition to the wisdom of the great and mighty God and have dared to enter into controversy with Him. The Word of Inspiration pronounces these persons “fools.”

God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in discoveries in science and art, but when professed scientists lecture and write upon these subjects from a merely human standpoint, they will assuredly come to wrong conclusions. The greatest minds, if not guided by the Word of God in their research, become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation. The Creator and His works are beyond their comprehension; and because they cannot explain these by natural laws, Bible history is considered unreliable. Those who doubt the reliability of the records of the Old and New Testaments will be led to go a step farther and doubt the existence of God, and then, having let go their anchor, they are left to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity. Moses wrote under the guidance of the Spirit of God, and a correct theory of geology will never claim discoveries that cannot be reconciled with his statements. The idea that many stumble over, that God did not create matter when He brought the world into existence, limits the power of the Holy One of Israel.

Many, when they find themselves incapable of measuring the Creator and His works by their own imperfect knowledge in science, doubt the existence of God and attribute infinite power to nature…. The Bible is not to be tested by human ideas of science, but science is to be brought to the test of this unerring standard.—Signs of the Times, March 13, 1884.

From From the Heart

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. Psalm 34:15.

The opinion is widely held that spirituality and devotion to God are detrimental to health. While this conclusion is radically false, it is not without apparent foundation. Many who profess to be Christians are ever walking under a cloud. They seem to think it a virtue to complain of depression of spirits, great trials, and severe conflicts.

But these persons do not correctly represent the religion of the Bible. So far from being antagonistic to health and happiness, the fear of the Lord lies at the foundation of all real prosperity….

The consciousness of right-doing is the best medicine for diseased bodies and minds. Those who are at peace with God have secured the most important requisite to health. The blessing of the Lord is life to the receiver. The assurance that the eye of the Lord is upon us, and His ear open to our prayer, is a never-failing source of satisfaction. To know that we have an all-wise Friend, to whom we can confide all the secrets of the soul, is a privilege which words can never express.

The gloom and despondency supposed to be caused by obedience to God’s moral law is often attributable to disregard of His physical laws. Those whose moral faculties are beclouded by disease are not the ones to rightly represent the Christian life, to show forth the joys of salvation or the beauties of holiness. They are too often in the fire of fanaticism or the water of cold indifference or stolid gloom….

It is the duty of every Christian to follow closely the example of Christ—to cultivate peace and hope and joy, which will be manifested in unfeigned cheerfulness and habitual serenity. Thus may they shed light upon all around them, instead of casting the dark shadow of discouragement and gloom.

Many are constantly craving excitement and diversion. They are restless and dissatisfied when not absorbed in mirth, frivolity, and pleasure-seeking. These persons may make a profession of religion, but they are deceiving their own souls. They do not possess the genuine article. Their life is not hid with Christ in God. They do not find in Jesus their joy and peace.—Signs of the Times, June 15, 1882.

From From the Heart

Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: … pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness. Ezekiel 16:49.

God gave labor to humanity as a blessing, to occupy our minds, to strengthen our bodies, and to develop our faculties. Adam and Eve labored in the Garden of Eden, and they found in mental and physical activity the highest pleasures of their holy existence. When they were driven from that beautiful home as the result of disobedience and were forced to struggle with a stubborn soil to gain their daily bread, that very labor was a relief to their sorrowing souls, a safeguard against temptation.

Judicious labor is indispensable both to the happiness and the prosperity of our race. It makes the feeble strong, the timid brave, the poor rich, and the wretched happy. Our varied trusts are proportioned to our various abilities, and God expects corresponding returns for the talents He has given to His servants. It is not the greatness of the talents possessed that determines the reward, but the manner in which they are used—the degree of faithfulness with which the duties of life are performed, be they great or small.

Idleness is one of the greatest curses that can fall upon us, for vice and crime follow in its train. Satan lies in ambush, ready to surprise and destroy those who are unguarded, whose leisure gives him opportunity to insinuate himself into their favor under some attractive disguise. He is never more successful than when he comes to men and women in their idle hours….

The rich often consider themselves entitled to the preeminence among their fellow human beings and in the favor of God. Many feel above honest labor and look down with contempt upon their poorer neighbors. The children of the wealthy are taught that to be gentlemen and ladies they must dress fashionably, avoid all useful labor, and shun the society of the working classes….

Such ideas are wholly at variance with the divine purpose in the creation of mankind….

The Son of God honored labor. Though He was the Majesty of heaven, He chose His earthly home among the poor and lowly, and worked for His daily bread in the humble carpenter shop of Joseph…. The path of the Christian laborer may be hard and narrow, but it is honored by the footprints of the Redeemer, and they are safe who follow in that sacred way.—Signs of the Times, May 4, 1882.

From From the Heart