“For many are called, but few are chosen.”—Matthew 22:14

When the householder went to the market and found men unhired, he said, “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” And the reply was, “Because no man hath hired us.” None of those called later in the day were there in the morning. They had not refused the call. Those who refuse and afterward repent, do well to repent; but it is not safe to trifle with the first call of mercy….

The Lord requires that sacred fire be used in His service. We are to bear the message of the divine householder to our fellow human beings. This will impress hearts. In whatever part of the Lord’s vineyard men and women are working, they need closely to examine their own hearts.

If they are inclined to exalt themselves and disparage others, their hearts need to be changed, till they shall no longer place their own estimate upon their own work and the work of others.

We need a spirit of love and of true dependence upon God. When we have implicit faith in Him who is Truth, we shall realize that worry and anxiety are unnecessary.

Whatever work we do, we are to do it for Christ. There are many kinds of temporal work to be done for God. Unbelievers would do this work mechanically, for the wages they receive. They do not know the joy of co-operation with the Master Worker. There is no spirituality in the work of them who serve themselves. Common motives, common aspirations, common inspirations, a desire to be thought clever by people, rule in their life. Such a one may receive praise from people, but not from God. Those who are truly united with Christ do not work for the wages they receive. Laborers together with God, they do not strive to exalt self.

In the last great day decisions will be made that will be a surprise to many. Human judgment will have no place in the decisions then made. Christ can and will judge every case; for all judgment has been committed to Him by the Father. He will estimate service by that which is invisible to humans. The most secret things lie open to His all-seeing eye. When the Judge of all human beings shall make His investigation, many of those whom human estimation has placed first will be placed last, and those who have been put in the lowest place by men and women will be taken out of the ranks and made first.—The Review and Herald, July 31, 1900.

Further Reflection: When was the last time that I heard the applause of heaven for some selfless act of service?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.”—Isaiah 28:16

Our Redeemer is a “Tried Stone.” The experiment has been made, the great test has been applied, and with perfect success. In Him is fulfilled all the purpose of God for the saving of a lost world. Never was a foundation subject to so severe a trial and test as this “Tried Stone.” The Lord Jehovah knew what this foundation stone could sustain. The sins of the whole world could be piled upon it. The Lord’s chosen were to be revealed, heaven’s gates to be thrown open to all who would believe; its untold glories were to be given to the overcomers.

“A Tried Stone” is Christ, tried by the perversity of human beings. Thou, O our Saviour, hast taken the burden; Thou hast given peace and rest; Thou hast been tried, proved by believers who have taken their trials to Thy sympathy, their sorrows to Thy love, their wounds to Thy healing, their weakness to Thy strength, their emptiness to Thy fullness; and never, never has one soul been disappointed. Jesus, my Tried Stone, to Thee will I come, moment by moment. In Thy presence I am lifted above pain. “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).

It is our privilege to enjoy sweet communion with God. Precious to the believer is His atoning blood, precious is His justifying righteousness. “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious” (1 Peter 2:7).

When I meditate upon this fountain of living power from which we may draw, I mourn that so many are losing the delight they might have had in considering His goodness. We are to be sons and daughters of God, growing into a holy temple in the Lord. “No more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God…. Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19, 20). This is our privilege. How is Heaven amazed at the present condition of the church that could be so much to the world were every stone, in its proper place, a living stone to emit light.—The Review and Herald, March 19, 1895.

Further Reflection: Is Jesus a proven Tried Stone to you, One on whom I can depend? Do I trust Jesus with my most painful trials?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”—John 15:5

I have frequently seen that the children of the Lord neglect prayer, especially secret prayer, altogether too much; that many do not exercise that faith which it is their privilege and duty to exercise, often waiting for that feeling which faith alone can bring. Feeling is not faith; the two are distinct. Faith is ours to exercise, but joyful feeling and the blessing are God’s to give. The grace of God comes to the soul through the channel of living faith, and that faith it is in our power to exercise.

True faith lays hold of and claims the promised blessing before it is realized and felt. We must send up our petitions in faith within the second veil, and let our faith take hold of the promised blessing, and claim it as ours. We are then to believe that we receive the blessing, because our faith has hold of it, and according to the word it is ours. “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). Here is faith, naked faith, to believe that we receive the blessing, even before we realize it. When the promised blessing is realized and enjoyed, faith is swallowed up. But many suppose they have much faith when sharing largely of the Holy Spirit, and that they cannot have faith unless they feel the power of the Spirit. Such confound faith with the blessing that comes through faith.

The very time to exercise faith is when we feel destitute of the Spirit. When thick clouds of darkness seem to hover over the mind, then is the time to let living faith pierce the darkness and scatter the clouds.

True faith rests on the promises contained in the word of God, and those only who obey that word can claim its glorious promises….

We should be much in secret prayer. Christ is the vine, we are the branches. And if we would grow and flourish, we must continually draw sap and nourishment from the Living Vine; for separated from the Vine, we have no strength.—Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, 126, 127.

Further Reflection: If faith is the channel through which feelings of assurance come, how can I reorient my life to make decisions based not on feeling but on faith in God’s promises?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”—Matthew 11:28

In these words Christ is speaking to every human being. Whether they know it or not, all are weary and heavy-laden. 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” (Isaiah 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.

The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations; for He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. 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” (Psalm 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. The rest that Christ offers depends upon conditions, but these conditions are plainly specified. They are those with which all can comply. He tells us just how His rest is to be found.

“Take My yoke upon you,” Jesus says. The yoke is an instrument of service. Cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they may labor effectually. By this illustration Christ teaches us that we are called to service as long as life shall last.—The Desire of Ages, 328, 329.

Further Reflection: What burden am I carrying that Jesus is waiting to take from me?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”—Revelation 22:13

He [Paul] approached the Gentiles, not by exalting the law at first, but by exalting Christ, and then showing the binding claims of the law. He showed them plainly how the light from the cross of Calvary gave significance and glory to the whole Jewish economy. Thus he varied his manner of labor, always shaping his message to the circumstances under which he was placed; and though after patient labor he was successful to a large degree, many would not be convinced. There are some who will not be convinced by any presentation of the truth. The laborer for God should, nevertheless, study carefully the best method, in order that he may not arouse prejudice or stir up combativeness in his hearers.

Christ said to His disciples, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” As the result of their early education, their ideas upon many points were incorrect, and they were not then prepared to understand and receive some things which He would otherwise have taught them. His instructions would have confused their minds, and raised questioning and unbelief that would have been difficult to remove.

Christ drew the hearts of His hearers to Him by the manifestation of His love, and then, little by little, as they were able to bear it, He unfolded to them the great truths of the kingdom. We also must learn to adapt our labors to the condition of the people—to meet humans where they are. While the claims of the law of God are to be presented to the world, we should never forget that love, the love of Christ, is the only power that can soften the heart, and lead to obedience. All the great truths of the Scriptures center in Christ; and rightly understood, all lead to Him. Let Christ be presented as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of the great plan of redemption. Present to the people such subjects as will strengthen their confidence in God and in His word, and lead them to investigate its teachings for themselves. And as they go forward, step by step, in the study of the Bible, they will be better prepared to appreciate the beauty and harmony of its precious truths.—The Review and Herald, November 25, 1890

Further Reflection: In what ways has Jesus drawn my heart to Him by clear demonstrations of His love for me?

From Jesus, Name Above All Names