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"AS A LITTLE CHILD"Deepening the WalkHow can you deepen this experience? Here are several pointers:Take
time to pray. The Bible says you should pray three times a day (Psalm
55:17; Daniel 6:10). If at all possible, do so. But more than that is
needed. Although both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy are clear that,
both in public worship services and private worship devotions, we should
kneel when we pray,—do not imagine that is the only place to converse
with Him! When not in a time of personal or public worship, the greater
number of our prayers occur as we sit, stand, walk, or work. "There
is no time or place in which it is inappropriate to offer up a petition
to God. . In the crowds of the street, in the midst of a business
engagement, we may send up a petition to God, and plead for divine
guidance, as did Nehemiah when he made his request before King Artaxerxes." 2
Selected Messages. 316. Far
too often we think that prayer is only for asking for things. It is too
easy to fall into an unbalanced "gimme" religious life. But if
you love someone and like to be with him, you talk to him about all kinds
of things. A
significant amount of your time with God is spent in sharing joys and
discoveries about how wonderful He is. There is a lot of thankfulness
and praise in such a life. It would injure a human being to keep telling
him how wonderful he is, but it does not hurt God; and, doing so, it
greatly helps you. When
you cry to Him for help, always have the attitude, "If it be Thy
will." You have needs, and you will want to call upon Him for help.
He delights to provide your needs. But remember that it chokes off the
experience if all you ever do is talk to Him when you want something. Let
there be lots of expressed thanks, hopefully, more than there is
beseeching Him for help. Such a ratio will greatly strengthen your hold on
Him! But never be afraid to ask Him for help. He waits to hear and answer.
Many times, amid this walk, He will help before you call—or are even
aware of the problem. Be
cautious about the kind of music you like to listen to and sing, if you
would guard the closeness of your experience with God. Avoid the wild
music, even though it may be called "Christian." Screaming
music, pagan drumbeats, feverish tempos do not help anyone draw near to
God. All they do is give you an artificial, shallow excitement. But
excitement for its own sake is worldly. You want to hear the still, small
voice. Exciting music militates against one's walk with God. This is a key
diagnostic factor: Is it calm or does it tend to be wild? Also beware of
gloomy mood music. Your
time with your Father is calm, peaceful, sweet, and happy. You no longer
need artificial props to keep you from depression. Those days are gone, as
long as you remain close to God. Now you have the real thing; you have
your wonderful Father with you. Peacefully
sing the sweet hymns and gospel songs. They will bring you both courage
and a sense of Father's presence. There is more strength from singing a
little song to God—even though your voice may be unsteady,—than in
listening to one; yet both can be helpful. When
possible, at times keep a songbook open nearby where you work; and, noting
a title, sing one from memory as you work or drive. If you have a hard
time recalling songs to sing, buy a small pocket notebook, and jot into it
a num.ber of gospel song and hymn titles. Open it, catch a title, close
the book and begin singing happily (or softly, depending on your
surroundings) to your Father. It matters not if you remember the words.
Make up new words as you go. The writer does this all the time. Keep
a Bible or Spirit of Prophecy book open. Every so often read a few
sentences, and then think about it as you work. Play
Bible and/or Spirit of Prophecy tapes. Hearing the Word of God is far more
powerful, in helping you maintain a closer walk with God, than hearing
music. Do not forget that. The pure words of God are also better than
sermon tapes. Listen to Bible and Spirit of Prophecy audiocassettes as
you have opportunity. Have one ready to turn on, as you work around the
house or drive in the car. You can obtain Alexander Scourby readings of the Bible. Spirit
of Prophecy tapes can be obtained from us. The author has found the five-volume
Conflict Series, Steps to Christ, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing,
Christ's Object Lessons, Ministry of Healing, Messages to Young People,
and Education to be especially helpful. Never,
never, never doubt God! Never question His Word, what He does, or what
He does not do. Never mistrust Him, and never blame Him. Always believe
that everything He does is good and right, for it always is. God is, in no
way responsible for much that happens in our world. He does not cause the
accidents. It is the devil who produces the terrible storms and cataclysms
which kill innocent people. Scripture is clear that God will finally
destroy the incorrigibly wicked.
But He never, never does anything to injure the innocent. A temptation to
question God may be presented to you, but recognize it for what it is: a
device of the devil to take possession and destroy you. It
brings strength to keep your eye on the future, immortal life. Yes, there
may be problems down here; but, on the other side, every question of our
earthly life will be resolved. It is of interest that, the closer your
walk with God, the fewer questions you will want Him to answer in heaven.
The problems of life are generally the result of mistakes and sins, either
ours or others. God is not to blame. Spend
your time finding ways to help others. There is a world of difference
between the person who lives for himself and the one who is trying to help
someone else. The more you are trying to help others, the closer your walk
with God. Living merely to gather for yourself, adorn yourself, and keep
for yourself—will destroy you. Self-centered living dries up the soul. Share
your experience with others. Tell them how good God is, what He has done
for you, and how He can help them. Point them to God's Inspired Books.
Share the last-day messages, found in Great Controversy, with them.
Share books and papers. Be a little missionary. Study the things of
nature, and they will deepen your love for God and your walk with Him.
That is a promise. If you see an ant or caterpillar, bend down and
thoughtfully watch it for a moment. Talk to your Father about it; with joy
on your countenance, springing from a heart in love, praise Him for all
these things. The study of natural history has been a deep source of encouragement
to the present writer, in deepening the walk. Value
your heavenly Father, and value time with Him. Love to be with Him. Take
walks with Him out-of-doors. Talk to Him about the wind in the trees, the
bird songs, the sound of the cricket, the clouds overhead. Everything is a
blessing, yet appreciated by so few. Do
not let your special prayer time with God degenerate into a nothingness.
The key is His Word. If you do not have a purpose to your prayers, open
the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy, read a little, and pray about what you
have read. Have a prayer list and pray for those who need help. Try
to live in the country! Our Father never intended that any of His children
live in the cities. He wants us out of them. Yet know that you can be in
a prison cell, stripped of your Bible and friends, and yet be able to
maintain this experience. The promise is given, as thy days, so shall
thy strength be" (Deuteronomy 33:25). In the midst of most difficult
circumstances, God will draw especially close to you. Make
sure, wherever you go, that He is with you. Only go as fast as you have
time to keep Him by your side. Eat
and live as healthfully as possible. It makes a difference! Avoid
everything which clouds the brain or animalizes the nature. Study
healthful living. Let every day be an experiment in how to live and eat
more healthfully. Eat simply, sparingly of only good, nourishing food. Maintain
a balanced, daily routine. As you travel through each day, note those
things which, during that time period, have weakened your hold on God. A
thoughtless word, a second helping of potatoes, white sugar which got
into the food. It all makes a difference. Do not be a person who cannot
think. Reason from cause to effect. Each evening, consider how you could
have done better that day, and determine that, with Father's help, you
will not do certain things again. Get enough rest at night. As you get
older, lay down and rest for a few minutes every so often through the day.
There is no need to put yourself in an early grave. The Lord needs your
help in the world. There is much to be done, and there are not enough to
work with Him in doing it. Do
not practice being disgusted. While preparing lunch today, the present
writer spilled some raw carrot pulp on the floor. He smiled at his foolish
ways, bent down, and picked it up. Some people think they need to act
disgruntled every so often. They think they need to grimace their face,
speak an angry word, and thus prove their mastery of the situation. That
is practicing to be like the devil. You serve a different Master. Act
godlike. Be gentle, affable, kind. Refuse
to be angry with your wife or husband. Instead, humbly tell the other
one you are praying for him. And mean it. Others can tell when you are
sincere or being sarcastic. Control
yourself. Irritability is a choice, and only becomes a habit if you let it
be so. Negative feelings and harsh words will stifle your experience and
injure your health. Reduce
those situations, which cause you to be angry, yell, or scream. Whatever
happens, you have decided that you will no longer do it. Many mothers have
a problem with this. If your child makes you scream, sit down with him and
explain that, from now on, you will speak softly three times, and then you
will spank. Henceforth, he will no longer think he can do as he likes—until you become angry. If your dog will not obey without being yelled at,
then get rid of the dog. The canine is training you to yell. Buy a canary
instead. Be serious about being a Christian. You
cannot have God by your side if you are carrying a grudge. Perhaps you
have people you need to apologize to. Make it right. Choose
to be cheerful. Live a radiant, thankful, happy life. It is as easy to
choose happiness as feeling miserable. So choose the sunny side. This is
extremely important. Do not expect a close walk with God if you are
grumpy, frequently disgusted, or sour. It cannot happen. Feeling happy is
more of a choice than the result of circumstances. The presence of God
is above circumstances. Even people who are bedridden can be a ray of
sunshine to all around—because they have God with them. You can praise
Him in spite of the physical pain. Remember that the future is extremely
bright! an eternity with Christ. Many
years ago, in the ministry, the present writer conducted the funeral
sermon for Sister Bell, one of his church members. For about a decade she
had been bedridden, but she was a sunbeam. Beside her bed was a telephone
and a local directory. Her spare time was occupied with dialing numbers at
random and encouraging them in the Lord! Wherever you are, you can spread
sunshine. Do
not expect your emotions to be on a continual high. Ongoing living with
God is calm—with a quiet, peaceful sense of happiness. Do not study your
emotions. Live for God, others, and the duties of the day. Choose to be
cheerful, in spite of what happens. Doing something to push up the
emotions only weakens and depresses the soul. In
regard to your children, your spouse, your home, and your finances,
everything will work out better if you remain with God. Do not think that
doing anything, which separates you from Him, will in any way help you—or them. For
example, if the devil can get you to think that losing your temper can
help you deal with a bad situation, he will give you an abundance of bad
situations. If you think that a personal crisis is reason enough to
temporarily abandon God and right principles, then the devil will lead you
from one crisis to another. When
others praise you for what you do, just reply, "The Lord did
it." "Without God's help, it could not have been done."
Avoid giving or receiving flattery. It eats the heart of everyone's
Christian experience. Do
not let others applaud you, and do not applaud others. No applause,
verbally or with your hands. Everyone is injured by it. If
you are not as successful in life as you would like, be content. You have
the Lord with you, and that is more important. Success separates many
people from God. Sometimes He has to keep His children in lowly
circumstances, because they would not know how to handle much success.
Wealth ruins most people who have it. When Satan knocks, run quickly to
your Father. Do not parley with the devil. Do not take time to consider
his enticing thoughts. The apparent "pleasures of sin" are a
mirage. There is no happiness apart from God, not a particle of it. The
devil knows this, and you ought to also. Flee from Satan's temptations by
running to God. Do not make this walk an on-again-off-again activity. It
is a bad habit to get into. Some people think they can just leave God
occasionally for this or that activity and then come back to Him. All
such are strengthening cherished wrongdoing, and they may lose out in the
end. Do
not dally with the devil. Do not sin. There is great danger in doing this.
Yes, it is true that the power to resist is totally from God, but the
decision is totally yours. If you do not do your little part in rejecting
the devil's offers, God cannot do His big part in empowering you to walk
away from a wrong path. "The
part man is required to sustain is immeasurably small, yet in the
plan of God it is just that part that is needed to make the work a
success." Amazing Grace, 319 [Italics ours]. "The
work of the Holy Spirit is immeasurably great. It is from this
source that power and efficiency come to the worker of God." Review,
November 29, 1892 [Italics ours]. Be very, very careful about those more lasting decisions: your friendships, where you live, where you work, where your recreation is, and who you marry. When
problems arise, trust them to the Lord. When you do not have problems,
remain just as close to Him. Do not practice "foxhole religion."
Far too many people only turn to God when they have troubles. Afterward,
they stumble back to relative indifference and neglect of their Creator.
But you have chosen to be different. You want to be with Him all the time!
And, oh, the deep awareness of peace it will bring into your heart. No
strong emotion most of the time, just a calm happiness. When
your desire, your will, conflicts with God's, what should you do? This
will occur frequently, often deceptively—beginning with something
very small. Satan has come, oh, so quietly, to call you from God. The
still, small voice of duty directs you one way, but you want to resist,
hold back, do something else. You are on the verge of stepping over the
line from childlike reliance to childish desertion. What should be done? Stop!
Pause and refocus. What is the right thing? Then, do not dally; quickly
yield! Accept God's way, ask Him to forgive you for what you were about to
do or are beginning to do. Thank Him for His love, and do what He wants.
Stay in the right path. Imagine
what it would be like if God left you alone, no longer convicted you of
the right, or offered the strength to do it! How horrible. You would
forever be the helpless captive of Satan. When God speaks, immediately
obey! More
on this topic in later chapters (When in Danger of Slipping and Finding it
Again). You
must spend time alone with God! Time in prayer, time reading His Word!
Without this, you cannot maintain the deeper experience. Someone will say,
"I cannot. I am crowded into a small apartment, and we have several
children." Several years ago, I heard of a woman who said something
like that to an evangelist. She lived with her family in one or two rooms
in the city. Her heart cried out for a way to come close to God. The
evangelist told her to go home and make room for a place where she could
be with the Lord. Arriving home, she walked over and pulled a dresser
sideways across a corner. Then, every so often, she got behind it on her
knees and cried to God in prayer. Everyone in the home knew that when
Mother got behind the dresser, they were not to bother her. Surely, your
experience is not that difficult; yet, just as she succeeded, you and I
may too. Remember: However you do it, you must spend time with God! "Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience." Gospel Workers, 254-255.
Go outside and pray. If you
live in a place where it is safe to do so, walk outside and pray. This is
a helpful—and healthful—adjunct to your time with God. Perhaps you
will want to carry a small Spirit of Prophecy book or Bible in your hand
and read a sentence or two from it from time to time. Live
to help others. The more you are working for God, trying to help and
bless others, the more your problems will tend to shrink down to a more
manageable size. Keep
in mind that the voice of duty is the voice of God (Ev 688; also in TM
402). If it is your task to spend the next hour washing dishes, hoeing the
garden, or scrubbing floors, that is the work God wants you to do right
then. Christianity is not ivory-tower living, sitting around in splendid
religious idleness—while others do the work. There
will be times when you are too tired to think. This is not some magic
24-hour-a-day experience which we are talking about. At such times, just
rest in His arms. You may be driving down the road, working, sitting, or
laying down. After 6,000 years of human ancestry, our bodies are often
tired, physically weakened, or in pain. Trust quietly in God, rest, and
keep pushing forward. He is with you as long as you want Him with you. Sometimes
you will just be with Him in silence. There are times you will just want
to fall down on your knees by a bed or couch, not saying much—for you
feel exhausted. You just want to be near Him. He fully accepts you at this
time, as He did earlier in the day when you felt better. There
will be times when Satan will draw near to depress or discourage you.
Trust in God and hold tight to Him. At times you will cry to Him for help
to keep holding on. He is listening, He loves you, and He will send
help. Remember the promise to Ellen, which is for us today: When you
need to, you can ask Father "to send another angel"—a second
angel—to guard and care for you (Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 2, 63). Do
not think that you have to always be on an emotional edge, doing certain
things, saying certain things. He loves you as you are. Just love Him with
all your heart, and—what you do—do for Him. He will gently lead you
along. Do
not always be on the go. Take time to just sit down and be quiet. Go for a
quiet walk. Have you noticed that the more things you do in life, the more
there is to do? There will be times when something has to be done, and you
must move quickly and decisively. This is understandable, and God will
help you. But it is neither wise nor necessary to always be on the fast
track. Remember
the experience of Hezekiah. He had prepared; and, when the crisis came, he
was prepared (PK 351). Prepare your spiritual defenses now. Acquaint now
thyself with God. You know not what emergency may come tomorrow. Do all
your daily duties as unto the Lord; and in the process of doing the work
before you carefully and well, you will grow stronger in Christ (COL 360). Do
not try to be equal with God. You were not made for it. Yes, you may be
His friend, brother, heir, and joint heir—but, at the heart of the daily
walk, you will always be His little child. The faithful in heaven (the
144,000 in Revelation 14:4 and all the faithful in 7:17) will be those
who follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth, because they did it down
here. That sounds like humble children following their parent—and that
is what it is. Only he who is humble enough to be God's child on earth
will be His child in heaven. The big people will not be there. Real
live Christians say "amen" and "yes" when they hear
something especially good or true, in talks or prayer—It may sound
old-fashioned, but doing so will strengthen your faith and the faith
of others. Indeed, we are told to do so (5T 318; 6T 383). It is a type of
public stand for God and the right. Do
not go beyond Scripture! Beware. Read again about Thomas Munzer and his
fanatics (GC 191-193). Fanatics combine pride and secret sin with
pretended holiness and extreme views. They reject basic Scriptural truths
and seek to dominate others and gain followers. Have nothing to do with
them, and do not enter that treacherous path yourself. The Bible and
Spirit of Prophecy provide the truths you must remain with. Any time
someone demands that you accept his religious views immediately, leave
and take your loved ones with you. Always be distrustful of self. Beware
of speakers or writers who urge you to set aside the Spirit of Prophecy.
They will tell you that only the Bible is to be used, and then they twist
passages and present errors. They want you to accept their interpretation
of the Bible instead of the divinely inspired Spirit of Prophecy
explanation of it! Any time someone downgrades the Spirit of Prophecy,
beware. If a speaker does it, take your family and leave. The
Inspired Writings (the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy) are superior to your
mind. Submit to them. They are bigger than you are. Your mind is not the
arbiter of right and wrong; only God and His Word are. Never
develop or accept supposed "new light" which is not clearly
stated in the Bible and/or Spirit of Prophecy. Do
not imagine that, by following the ideas in this book, you are going to
rise to some superior holiness. If you follow the rules for communion,
laid out in God's Word,—it will be your obedience, humility, and sense
of self-distrust which will deepen. Fall down before God and be broken!
Do not let the devil tempt you to spiritual pride. We are nothing, except
to the degree we are united as little children with our Creator. You will,
indeed, gain a deeper experience; but, if you are at all proud of what
is happening,—the devil has placed a worm in your heart, and you will
soon fall. Walk
humbly with thy God. Do not presume to think you are smart enough to
improve on His guidance. The thought will come to mind to think or do
something which a small voice will tell you to avoid. Train yourself to
sense the danger in such a situation. When such a danger threatens,
quickly resubmit yourself to the Lord and do what you know to be right. A
favorite approach of Satan is to suggest the thought that you are able to
take care of yourself. You are not. You must remain close to your Father,
or you are headed for trouble. John the Baptist had carefully studied the
science of guarding against the stealthy approach of the enemy of mankind
(DA 102). We must do it also. Recognize
that Satan is always trying to lead you away. In little ways, the devil is
constantly trying to catch our attention and interest. He is
constantly trying to pull you toward this or that. But taking a lowly
place before God and nestling in His powerful arms—lessens the
attractive power of that which Satan offers, enables us to better
recognize his lures for what they are, and strengthens us to resist them. As
His little child, you are to defend your Father! Remember the filth
commandment. You are not to be silent when His character is reproached.
You are to vigorously defend His honor, His truthfulness, and the
teachings in His Word (both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy). This is a
solemn duty required of God's faithful children. A lot is involved here.
Many lose all their courage when the need presents itself to stand in
defense of historic beliefs and standards. Beware, when all men speak
well of thee. "Woe
unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers
to the false prophets." Luke 6:26. "Do
I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the
servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10. Thus
we see that there are many ancillary points which can help us maintain a
very close walk with our heavenly Father. There
will be times when the sheer realization of your position as God's child
and the glorious future He is preparing for you will sweep over you, and
you will gratefully thank Him for accepting you as His little child. My
brother and sister, be faithful! We want to meet in heaven! |
