A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
      —Proverbs 18:24

The Lord has not left you to yourself. He is looking upon you with tender compassion. His Spirit still strives for the mastery over the powers of darkness. If you will come to Christ, hungry and thirsty for the bread and water of life, the power of an abiding Christ will break down that harsh, cold, selfishness, which is the opposite of sympathy….

Christ is knocking at the door of your heart, asking for admittance. Shall He knock in vain? Will you refuse Him entrance, or will you welcome Him as an honored guest? Do not refuse to admit Him, for the love of Jesus is of more value to you than the whole world.

Its length, its depth, its height, its breadth cannot be estimated. It opens and expands the heart, giving it a new capacity for loving God. The calls and invitations made in the Bible mean all that the strongest language can express. The Lord is anxious for you to return to Him. He knows that you need Him, and He needs you, for He says, “Ye are My witnesses” (Isaiah 43:10). You do yourself a serious wrong when you turn your face from the living God. Fear not to make a full and decided consecration of yourself. Cast yourself without reserve on the grace of Jesus Christ; you will find that there is no compassion like that of infinite purity. Under His control, you will appreciate the goodness, longsuffering, and self-sacrificing love of God, and will reveal it to the world.

You may think that no one really understands your case, but there is One who is acquainted with every circumstance of it. He knows that you have no strength or wisdom of your own, that you do not even understand your own necessities; and He has promised to keep you from falling, and in this promise you may rely. At times you may feel like weeping because you have lost your joy and hope in the Lord; but Christ says to you, “Open the door of your heart and let Me in.” He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, and to Him you may tell every trial, every sorrow, every need. He will teach you many things above price of gold or silver, and give you peace and joy.—Letter 109, 1896.

Further Reflection: Have I shared what is on my heart with Jesus today?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.”—Ezekiel 3:17

In His life and lessons Christ has given a perfect exemplification of the unselfish ministry which has its origin in God. God does not live for Himself. By creating the world, and by upholding all things, He is constantly ministering to others. “He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). This ideal of ministry the Father committed to His Son. Jesus was given to stand at the head of humanity, by His example to teach what it means to minister. His whole life was under a law of service. He served all, ministered to all.

Again and again Jesus tried to establish His principle among His disciples. When James and John made their request for pre-eminence, He said, “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).

Since His ascension Christ has carried forward His work on the earth by chosen ambassadors, through whom He speaks to the children of humanity and ministers to their needs. The great Head of the church superintends His work through the instrumentality of men and women ordained by God to act as His representatives.

The position of those who have been called of God to labor in word and doctrine for the upbuilding of His church, is one of grave responsibility. In Christ’s stead they are to beseech men and women to be reconciled to God, and they can fulfill their mission only as they receive wisdom and power from above.

Christ’s ministers are the spiritual guardians of the people entrusted to their care. Their work has been likened to that of watchmen….

It is the privilege of the watchmen on the walls of Zion to live so near to God, and to be susceptible to the impressions of His Spirit, that He can work through them to tell men and women of their peril and point them to the place of safety.—The Acts of the Apostles, 359-361.

Further Reflection: How can I work more closely with Jesus to achieve His objectives?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.—1 John 2:1

All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remain upon the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan. The more exalted their profession and the more honorable the position which they hold, the more grievous is their course in the sight of God and the more sure the triumph of their great adversary. Those who delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the time of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case of all such is hopeless.

It is not required of you to confess to those who know not your sin and errors. It is not your duty to publish a confession which will lead unbelievers to triumph; but to those to whom it is proper, who will take no advantage of your wrong, confess according to the word of God, and let them pray for you, and God will accept your work, and will heal you. For your soul’s sake, be entreated to make thorough work for eternity. Lay aside your pride, your vanity, and make straight work. Come back again to the fold. The Shepherd is waiting to receive you. Repent, and do your first works, and again come into favor with God.

Christ is your Redeemer; He will take no advantage of your humiliating confessions. If you have sin of a private character, confess it to Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and humanity. “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). If you have sinned by withholding from God His own in tithes and offerings, confess your guilt to God and to the church, and heed the injunction that He has given you: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse” (Malachi 3:10).

The people of God must move understandingly. They should not be satisfied until every known sin is confessed; then it is their privilege and duty to believe that Jesus accepts them. They must not wait for others to press through the darkness and obtain the victory for them to enjoy. Such enjoyment will last only till the meeting closes. But God must be served from principle instead of from feeling…. Let not your daily labor keep you from this. Take time to pray, and as you pray, believe that God hears you.—Counsels for the Church, 258, 259.

Further Reflection: Am I willing to accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers me today?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

As disciples of Christ we shall not mingle with the world from a mere love of pleasure, to unite with them in folly. Such associations can result only in harm. We should never give sanction to sin by our words or our deeds, our silence or our presence. Wherever we go, we are to carry Jesus with us, and to reveal to others the preciousness of our Saviour. But those who try to preserve their religion by hiding it within stone walls lose precious opportunities of doing good. Through the social relations, Christianity comes in contact with the world. Everyone who has received the divine illumination is to brighten the pathway of those who know not the Light of life.

We should all become witnesses for Jesus. Social power, sanctified by the grace of Christ, must be improved in winning souls to the Saviour. Let the world see that we are not selfishly absorbed in our own interests, but that we desire others to share our blessings and privileges. Let them see that our religion does not make us unsympathetic or exacting. Let all who profess to have found Christ, minister as He did for the benefit of humanity.

We should never give to the world the false impression that Christians are a gloomy, unhappy people. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we shall see a compassionate Redeemer, and shall catch light from His countenance. Wherever His Spirit reigns, there peace abides. And there will be joy also, for there is a calm, holy trust in God.

Christ is pleased with His followers when they show that, though human, they are partakers of the divine nature. They are not statues, but living men and women. Their hearts, refreshed by the dews of divine grace, open and expand to the Sun of Righteousness. The light that shines upon them they reflect upon others in works that are luminous with the love of Christ.—The Desire of Ages, 152, 153.

Further Reflection: Am I a happy Christian? Do people enjoy being around me? How do I use my “social power” to build up the kingdom of God?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”—John 11:21

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” He read the hearts of all assembled. He saw that with many, what passed as a demonstration of grief was only pretense. He knew that some in the company, now manifesting hypocritical sorrow, would erelong be planning the death, not only of the mighty miracle worker, but of the one to be raised from the dead. Christ could have stripped from them their robe of pretended sorrow. But He restrained His righteous indignation. The words He could in all truth have spoken, He did not speak, because of the loved one kneeling at His feet in sorrow, who truly believed in Him.

“Where have ye laid him?” He asked, “They said unto Him, Lord, come and see.” Together they proceeded to the grave. It was a mournful scene. Lazarus had been much beloved, and his sisters wept for him with breaking hearts, while those who had been his friends mingled their tears with those of the bereaved sisters. In view of this human distress, and of the fact that the afflicted friends could mourn over the dead while the Saviour of the world stood by—“Jesus wept.” Though He was the Son of God, yet He had taken human nature upon Him, and He was moved by human sorrow. His tender, pitying heart is ever awakened to sympathy by suffering. He weeps with those that weep, and rejoices with those that rejoice.

But it was not only because of His human sympathy with Mary and Martha that Jesus wept. In His tears there was a sorrow as high above human sorrow as the heavens are higher than the earth. Christ did not weep for Lazarus; for He was about to call him from the grave. He wept because many of those now mourning for Lazarus would soon plan the death of Him who was the resurrection and the life. But how unable were the unbelieving Jews rightly to interpret His tears! Some, who could see nothing more than the outward circumstances of the scene before Him as a cause for His grief, said softly, “Behold how He loved him!”—The Desire of Ages, 533, 534.

Further Reflection: How do I respond when someone whom I help betrays me?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names