Author Archives: Editor

Daily readings for 12/30/2019: That I May Know Him

Eternity Before Us, December 30

They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. Psalm 84:7.

All heaven has been looking with intense interest upon those who claim to be God's commandment-keeping people. Here are the people who ought to be able to claim all the rich promises of God, who ought to be going on from glory to glory and from strength to strength, who ought to be in a position to reflect glory to God in the works that they do….

We have received the rich blessing of God, but we must not stop here. We are to catch more and more the divine rays of light from heaven. We are to stand just where we can receive the light and reflect it, in its glory, upon the pathway of others….

We need to drink deeper and deeper of the fountain of life…. You may have a living testimony to bear: “Hear what the Lord has done for my soul.” The Lord is ready to impart still greater blessings. He permitted all His goodness to pass before Moses. He proclaimed His character to him as a God full of mercy—long-suffering and gracious, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Moses was to represent this character to the people of Israel, and we are to do the same. We are to go forth to proclaim the goodness of God and to make plain His real character before the people. We are to reflect His glory…. Let us declare the character of God to the people as Moses did to Israel, both in spirit and life. We are to catch the light of His countenance, full of compassion and love, and reflect it to perishing souls.

I beseech you to keep reaching out after God, to keep drinking of the fountain of living water. You may be as a tree planted by the rivers of waters, whose leaf does not wither. You may be full of moisture, and may be able to refresh others, and to give them grace and comfort. I love Jesus now, and I want to know more and more of Him. I have only begun to know Him, but there is an eternity before us in which there will be revealings of His glory, and we shall become better and better acquainted with our divine Lord.^{41The Review and Herald, February 26, 1889.}

The Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904, USA
Phone: +1 301 680 6540
Help: subscribe@ellenwhite.org

Daily readings for 12/29/2019: That I May Know Him

The Results of Christ's Travail, December 29

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11.

What sustained the Son of God during His life of toil and sacrifice? He saw the results of the travail of His soul, and was satisfied. Looking into eternity, He beheld the happiness of those who through His humiliation had received pardon and everlasting life. His ear caught the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.^{38The Acts of the Apostles, 601.}

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” During every moment of Christ's life in our world, God was repeating His gift. Christ, the sinless One, was making an infinite sacrifice for sinners, that they might be saved. He came as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and those for whom He came looked upon Him as stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. The cup of suffering was placed in His hand, as if He were the guilty one, and He drained it to the dregs. He bore the sin of the world to the bitter end…. No line can fathom, no measurement compute, the love revealed by the cross of Calvary….

In every pang of anguish endured we behold the throes of paternal love. The Father Himself travailed in the greatness of His almighty love in behalf of a world perishing in sin. By the sacrifice that has been made, the gift of eternal life has been placed within the reach of every son and daughter of Adam.^{39Letter 100, 1911.}

Christ's redeemed ones are His jewels, His precious and peculiar treasure. “They shall be as the stones of a crown”—“the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Zechariah 9:16; Ephesians 1:18). In them “he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” Christ looks upon His people in their purity and perfection as the reward of all His sufferings, His humiliation, and His love, and the supplement of His glory—Christ the great center, from whom radiates all glory.^{40The Review and Herald, October 22, 1908.}

The Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904, USA
Phone: +1 301 680 6540
Help: subscribe@ellenwhite.org

Daily readings for 12/28/2019: That I May Know Him

The Joy Set Before Him, December 28

Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.

The work of Christ upon earth was to seek and save that which was lost. Ever before Him He saw the result of His mission, although the baptism of blood must first be received, although the weight of sins of the world was to gather upon His innocent soul, although the shadow of an unspeakable woe was ever over Him. Yet for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross and despised the shame. He endured all this that sinful man might be saved, that he might be elevated and ennobled and have a place with Him upon His throne.^{35The Review and Herald, December 20, 1892.}

Christ is the originator of divine truth. He knew the height and depth, length and breadth and fullness of the compassion of divine love, as no mortal man can know it. He knows the blessedness that sinners are refusing when they reject divine light, the horrors that will come upon the soul that refuses the truth of Heaven…. Christ alone knows what means the exceeding weight of glory which those who rebel against God refuse to receive….

Men are contaminated with sin, and they cannot have an adequate conception of the heinous character of the evil which they cherish. Because of sin the Majesty of heaven was stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Voluntarily our divine Substitute bared His soul to the sword of justice, that we might not perish but have everlasting life. Said Christ: “I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:17, 18)…. No man of earth nor angel of heaven could have paid the penalty of sin. Jesus was the only one who could save rebellious man.^36Ibid.

The joy that was set before Jesus was that of seeing souls redeemed by the sacrifice of His glory, His honor, His riches, and His own life. The salvation of man was His joy. When all the redeemed shall be gathered into the kingdom of God, He will see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied.^{37Testimonies for the Church 2:686.}

The Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904, USA
Phone: +1 301 680 6540
Help: subscribe@ellenwhite.org

Daily readings for 12/27/2019: That I May Know Him

The Fulfillment of God's Purpose, December 27

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:10, 11.

We should consider that it was not merely to accomplish the redemption of man that Christ came to earth, it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded, but it was to demonstrate to all the worlds that God's law is unchangeable and that the wages of sin is death.

There is a great deal more to this subject than we can take in at a glance. O that all might see the importance of carefully studying the Scriptures! Many seem to have the idea that this world and the heavenly mansions constitute the universe of God. Not so. The redeemed throng will range from world to world, and much of their time will be employed in searching out the mysteries of redemption. And throughout the whole stretch of eternity this subject will be continually opening to their minds. The privileges of those who overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony are beyond comprehension.

We have each to battle with the fallen foe…. Begin the warfare at once by gaining victories over self. Do not give place to the devil…. Throw all the weight of your influence on the side of Christ.

When you look at the cross of Calvary you cannot doubt God's love or His willingness to save. He has worlds upon worlds that give Him divine honor, and heaven and all the universe would have been just as happy if He had left this world to perish, but so great was His love for the fallen race that He gave His own dear Son to die that they might be redeemed from eternal death. As we see the care, the love, that God has for us, let us respond to it; let us give to Jesus all the powers of our being, fighting manfully the battles of the Lord. We cannot afford to lose our souls; we cannot afford to sin against God. Life, eternal life in the kingdom of glory, is worth everything.^{34The Review and Herald, March 9, 1886.}

The Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904, USA
Phone: +1 301 680 6540
Help: subscribe@ellenwhite.org

Daily readings for 12/26/2019: That I May Know Him

Triumph of God's Love, December 26

The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Psalm 97:1, 2.

The law of love is the foundation of God's government, and the service of love the only service acceptable to Heaven. God has granted freedom of will to all, endowed men with capacity to appreciate His character, and therefore with ability to love Him and to choose His service. So long as created beings worshiped God they were in harmony throughout the universe. While love to God was supreme, love to others abounded. As there was no transgression of the law, which is the transcript of God's character, no note of discord jarred the celestial harmonies.

But known unto God are all His works, and from eternal ages the covenant of grace (unmerited favor) existed in the mind of God. It is called the everlasting covenant, for the plan of salvation was not conceived after the fall of man, but it was that which was “kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and … made known unto all the nations …” (Romans 16:25, 26, R.V.)….

Before Him who ruleth in the heavens the mysteries of the past and future are alike outspread, and God sees beyond the woe and darkness and ruin that sin has wrought, the outworking of His purpose of love and blessing. Though clouds and darkness are round about Him, yet righteousness and judgment are the foundation of His throne…. Through the plan of salvation a larger purpose is to be wrought out even than the salvation of man and the redemption of the earth. Through the revelation of the character of God in Christ, the beneficence of the divine government would be manifested before the universe, the charge of Satan refuted, the nature and result of sin made plain, and the perpetuity of the law fully demonstrated.^{32Signs of the Times, February 13, 1893.}

Then the extermination of sin will vindicate God's love and establish His honor before a universe of beings who delight to do His will, and in whose heart is His law.^{33The Desire of Ages, 764.}

The Ellen G. White Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike,
Silver Spring, MD 20904, USA
Phone: +1 301 680 6540
Help: subscribe@ellenwhite.org