Meeting Sabbathkeeping Problems

Meeting Sabbathkeeping Problems

No Cause to Worry or Fear—Often when our workers present

the testing Sabbath truth to the people, some stand hesitating for fear

of bringing poverty and hardship upon themselves and their families.

They say, Yes, I see what you are trying to show me in regard to the

observance of the seventh-day Sabbath; but I am afraid if I keep the

Sabbath I shall lose my position, and shall not be able to provide for

my family. And so, many keep their worldly position and disobey the

command of God. But these scriptures [Luke 12:1-7] teach us that

the Lord knows all about our experiences; He understands about our

inconveniences; and He has a care for all who follow on to know the

Lord. He will never allow His children to be tempted above that they

are able to bear.

Christ declared to His disciples: “Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life

is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the

ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse

nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the

fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature

one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why

take ye thought for the rest?”

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Holding up before them the lily of the field in its beauty and purity,

the Saviour continued: “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil

not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory

was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass,

which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how

much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?

“And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither

be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world

seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be

added unto you.”

Christ is here teaching a precious lesson in regard to His service.

Whatever experiences may come to you, He says, serve God. Whatever

inconveniences and hardships you may encounter, trust in the Lord. We

have no cause to worry and fear if we take our position for the truth,

that we and our families will suffer. To do this is to manifest unbelief

in God. “Your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things,” the

Saviour says. If we would study the Word more faithfully, we would

increase in faith.—Manuscript 83, 1909.

Time to Extend a Helping Hand—It is an important time now for

these localities where an interest has been awakened. A large number

... are in the valley of decision. O that the Lord will give to His

servants wisdom to speak to these souls such words as shall give them

courage to confess the truth and surrender their will, their heart’s entire

devotion, to God. We pray that the Lord will inspire with faith these

souls who are convinced of the truth, that the seventh day is the Sabbath

of the Lord, that they shall

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not confer with their own feelings and let the enemy lead them to decide

that the sacrifice is too great.

They will suffer loss in temporal matters, and a helping hand must

not be wanting. Many ask, “How can we support our families? We

shall lose our positions as soon as we decide to keep holy the seventh

day and do no work on the Sabbath. Our families, shall they starve?”

What can we say? Poverty and want are seen everywhere, and honest

souls know not what to do. They dare not venture out; yet they are fully

convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. They know

that God blessed the seventh day and set it apart for man to observe as

a memorial of His creating of the world in six days and His rest upon

the seventh day.

When we see the difficulties standing like mountains before their

souls, the prospect of want to themselves and children staring them in

the face, our hearts are pained. Many a one says, “I want to observe the

seventh day, but as soon as I state to my employer that I have decided

to keep the Sabbath, I shall be discharged.” Hundreds are waiting to

step into any place made vacant. I am sorely troubled. All we can do

is to encourage them to have faith, and pray for them. Oh, sometimes I

wish I had a million dollars. I could use every dollar in this work....

Many become decided transgressors of God’s holy law as the

result of union, concord, and co-operation with companions who are

instruments of Satan. God sends them light to undeceive them, but

they refuse to take the Word of God as it reads. They accept error,

choosing the lies of Satan rather than a “Thus saith the Lord.” And

these advocates of error make it very hard for those who see the truth

to obey it. Human sight can see nothing but starvation before those

who keep the Sabbath.—Manuscript 19, 1894.

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Never Results in Starvation—Never need anyone fear that

observance of the true Sabbath will result in starvation. [Isaiah

58:11, 12; Proverbs 7:2; Isaiah 58:14.] These promises are a

sufficient answer to all the excuses that man may invent for refusing

to keep the Sabbath. Even if, after beginning to keep God’s law,

it seems impossible to support one’s family, let every doubting soul

realize that God has promised to care for those who obey His

commandments.—Manuscript 116, 1902.

It Takes Men of Courage—It requires moral courage to take a

position to keep the commandments of the Lord. An opposer of the

truth once said that it was only weak-minded people, foolish, ignorant

persons, who would turn away from the churches to keep the seventh

day as the Sabbath. But a minister who had embraced the truth, replied,

“If you think it takes weak-minded persons, just try it.” It takes moral

courage, firmness, decision, perseverance, and very much prayer to

step out on the unpopular side. We are thankful that we can come to

Christ as the poor suffering ones came to Christ in the temple....

You have not dared to trample under foot the commandments of

God, and have stepped out on unpopular truth, let the result be what it

may. Will the Saviour ever turn away to leave you to struggle alone?

No, never. But He never told His disciples that they should have no

trials, no self-denial to endure, no sacrifices to make. The Master was

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. “Ye know the grace of

our Lord Jesus Christ, how that though He was rich, yet for your sakes

He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” We thank

God that in your poverty you can call God your Father.

Poverty is coming upon this world, and there will

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be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.

There will be wars and rumors of wars, and the faces of men will

gather paleness. You may have to suffer distress; you may go hungry

sometimes; but God will not forsake you in your suffering. He will

test your faith. We are not to live to please ourselves. We are here

to manifest Christ to the world, to represent Him and His power to

mankind.—Manuscript 37, 1894.

Time to Rely on God’sWord—In the wilderness, when all means

of sustenance failed, God sent His people manna from heaven; and a

sufficient and constant supply was given. This provision was to teach

them that while they trusted in God, and walked in His ways, He would

not forsake them. The Saviour now practiced the lesson He had taught

to Israel. By the word of God, succor had been given to the Hebrew

host, and by the same word it would be given to Jesus. He awaited

God’s time to bring relief. He was in the wilderness in obedience to

God, and He would not obtain food by following the suggestions of

Satan. In the presence of the witnessing universe, He testified that it

is a less calamity to suffer whatever may befall, than to depart in any

manner from the will of God.

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

Often the follower of Christ is brought where he cannot serve God

and carry forward his worldly enterprises. Perhaps it appears that

obedience to some plain requirement of God will cut off his means

of support. Satan would make him believe that he must sacrifice his

conscientious convictions. But the only thing in our world upon which

we can rely, is the Word of God. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God,

and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Even in this life it is not

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for our good to depart from the will of our Father in heaven. When

we learn the power of His word, we shall not follow the suggestions of

Satan in order to obtain food or to save our lives. Our only questions

will be, What is God’s command? and what His promise? Knowing

these, we shall obey the one, and trust the other.—The Desire of Ages,

121. (1898)

An Appeal to One in the Valley of Decision—The enemy was

telling you to wait for a more convenient season. He has been on hand

with his devices presenting to you the advantages you would gain if you

did not keep the Sabbath, and the disadvantages you would realize in

keeping the Sabbath. He has prepared these various excuses why you

should not make your decision to be obedient to the law of God. He is

a deceiver. He falsifies the character of God, and you have accepted his

temptation. All your imaginings have shown distrust of your heavenly

Father.

You have thought when you could realize a certain prosperity

in your business, then you would obey the Sabbath of the fourth

commandment. But the Lord requires of every one of His subjects

entire obedience. God’s requirements were upon you, and you have

been making terms with God. And all the time Satan has been working

to make it more and still more impossible as you look at the matter,

to decide to keep the Sabbath. You have been growing less and less

susceptible to the movings of the Spirit of God upon your heart. The

Lord has given me a message for you and for your children to take

up your long-neglected duty, to walk in the light as He is in the light.

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy

soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.” “This do,” said

Christ of a lawyer, “and thou shalt live.” This is the voice of God

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to yourself and to your children. The law of God is good as well as just

and profitable to all who obey, and you will show honor to Him whom

you obey.

When your mind is brought into conformity to the will of God,

to obey His commandments, think you that the Lord will not have

a care for you and your temporal interests? You have been almost

persuaded, but did not obey. You thought you would wait until

the way cleared before you. The Lord has left every human agent

responsible for his course of action. God’s claims are to be your first

consideration. Obedience to God is your first duty. You are to leave all

the consequences in His hands. You have been hesitating because you

do not now realize the strong convictions that you once had, and would

not yield to obey. You need not expect as forcible conviction again.

You will have to obey God and take your position on the truth, feeling

or no feeling. Your business now is to work decidedly from principle,

to make your decisions irrespective of consequences.—Letter 72, 1893.

Live Up to Every Ray of Light—Live up to every ray of light that

you have received. Your eternal interests are involved here, and that

is why I say, “Cherish every ray of light.” On your knees ask Christ

to impress your heart by His Holy Spirit, and turn not away from His

law.—Manuscript 10, 1894.

Better Lose Position Than Jesus—Do not think that if you take

your position for the Bible truth you will lose your position. You had

better lose your position than lose Jesus. You had better be partakers

of the self-denial and self-sacrifice of the Lord than to go in your own

way seeking to gather to yourself the treasures of this life. You cannot

carry any of it into the grave. You will come up from the grave

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without anything, but if you have Jesus you will have everything. He is

all that you will require to stand the test of the day of God, and is not

this enough for you?—Manuscript 20, 1894.

A Decided Stand—Men may raise up all the combativeness they

please, but the commandments of God are the commandments of God

still. We have decided to keep God’s commandments and live, and

[preserve] His law as the apple of our eye. Let men rail out against

the law of God and trample His commandment-keeping people under

their feet. Can they do it and live? It is impossible. God has

His measurement of character, and it is those who obey Him that

live, and those who keep His law as the apple of their eye that He

preserves.—Manuscript 5, 1891.

Offering Positions to New Sabbathkeepers—Among those who

embraced the truth at _____ last winter was a young man who left the

school that he was attending, in order to keep the Sabbath. He was

asked what he expected to do for a living. He replied, “God has given

me physical strength, and I will work in any capacity rather than break

His commandments.” Some felt anxious that he should be given a place

in the printing office, but one said, “No. When he shows that he will

obey God at any cost, then we shall know that he is the very man we

need in this office. But if he has not principle enough to do this, he is

just the man that we do not want.”

Elder _____ came to me, and asked me if he ought to give the

young man encouragement to think that he would be given a place in

the office. I said, “The God of heaven has presented before him the

eternal weight of glory that awaits the overcomer, and if like Moses,

he has respect unto the recompense of reward, he will take his position

decidedly on the side of truth.

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But it would do harm and not good to hold out before him any bribe

or attraction. And yet your duty is to help him to see that he must

walk out by faith, but do not leave him to wrestle this battle out

alone, for Satan will tempt him, and you must render him every help

possible.”—Manuscript 26, 1886.

Business Ties With Sabbathbreakers—There is need of a

Sabbath reform among us, who profess to observe God’s holy rest day.

Some discuss their business matters and lay plans on the Sabbath, and

God looks upon this in the same light as though they engaged in the

actual transaction of business.

Others who are well acquainted with the Bible evidences that the

seventh day is the Sabbath, enter into partnership with men who have

no respect for God’s holy day. A Sabbathkeeper cannot allow men in

his employ, paid by his money, to work on the Sabbath. If, for the sake

of gain, he allows the business in which he has an interest to be carried

on on the Sabbath by his unbelieving partner, he is equally guilty with

the unbeliever; and it is his duty to dissolve the relation, however much

he may lose by so doing. Men may think they cannot afford to obey

God, but they cannot afford to disobey Him. Those who are careless

in their observance of the Sabbath will suffer great loss.—The Review

and Herald, March 18, 1884.

One Kind of Employment for Sabbathkeepers—We find here

the best class of people to work for. And for many of them it would

not be difficult to keep the Sabbath. _____is a place where a great deal

of poultry raising is done. With almost every dwelling house on the

outskirts of the city poultry yards are connected. The houses are not

built in terraces, but stand apart from one another, often surrounded by

several acres of land. Poultry of all kinds is raised,

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and the eggs find a ready market in _____ and _____, and are taken to

the city by boat.

I write this that you may understand the situation. In poultry raising

many families find a means of livelihood, and these could not raise

the objection that many raise to keeping the Sabbath—that it would

interfere with their business. They could keep the Sabbath without fear

of losing their employment.—Letter 113, 1902.

SOURCE

Evangelism

Ellen G. White

1946