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"AS A LITTLE CHILD"Others who Have Gone beforeIt
is an intriguing—and very significant—fact that several times in
Scripture we are told about individuals who loved the Lord, but who then
entered upon a deeper relationship with Him. It is possible to love
Him—at a little distance—and later discover that we can be in
Him—close up! Let
us briefly consider the lives of eleven of God's children in past ages, We
are all well-acquainted with the experience of Enoch, Although he
loved the Lord, yet, when he was 65, he entered upon an even deeper
experience, According to the description, he began doing what we are
talking about in this book. "Of
Enoch it is written that he lived sixty-five years, and began a son,
after that he walked with God three hundred years, During these earlier
years Enoch had loved and feared God and had kept His commandments, He
relied on the Redeemer to come, "But
after the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he
was drawn into a closer relationship with God. He realized more fully his
own obligations and responsibility as a son of God, And as he saw the
child's love for its father, its simple trust in his protection; as he
felt the deep, yearning tenderness of his own heart for that first-born
son, he learned a precious lesson of the wonderful love of God to men in
the gift of His Son, and the confidence which the children of God may
repose in their heavenly Father, "The
infinite, unfathomable love of God through Christ became the subject of
his meditations day and night; and with all the fervor of his soul he
sought to reveal that love to the people among whom he dwelt." Patriarchs and Prophets, 84. Seeing
his love for his son, and the son's love for him, Enoch recognized that he
could have this kind of relationship with God. Throughout the previous
decades, he loved and served God,—but now he chose to begin a closer
relationship with Him. There
is no mystery here. We are told that there are Enochs living today (COL
332). You can be one. It is easy to indulge the Catholic saint fallacy,
that there are only a few holy people, and the rest of us can only admire
them—while God selected only a few "saints" to be close to
Him. That is papal error. Satan does not want mankind to realize what
they can have, and become, in God. Diamonds
are unusual because they are so rare. Why does clean, godly living have to
be as rare as diamonds? We all can walk with God as did Enoch. To learn
more about the experience of Enoch, thoughtfully read Patriarchs and
Prophets, 84-87. He lived in a corrupt age (2T.122) and he had no Bible to
help him, as we do. "While
engaged in our daily work, we should lift the soul to heaven in prayer.
These silent petitions rise like incense before the throne of grace; and
the enemy is baffled. . It was thus that Enoch walked with God. And God
was with him, a present help in every time of need." Gospel
Workers, 254. People,
anxious to remain in their indifferent self-centeredness, will declare
that it is impossible to live such a clean, dedicated life. But mind
them not. You want a higher, happier way of life—and therefore, God will
let you have it. Living like Enoch is not a sacrifice. It is a sweet,
peaceful walk with God. "Enoch
kept the Lord ever before him, and the Inspired Word says that he 'walked
With God.' He made Christ his constant companion. He was in the world, and
performed his duties in the world; but he was ever under the influence
of Jesus. He reflected Christ's character, exhibiting the same qualities
of goodness, mercy, tender compassion, sympathy, forbearance, meekness,
humility, and love. His association With Christ day by day transformed
him into the image of Him with whom he was so intimately connected. "Day
by day he was growing away from his own way into Christ's way, the
heavenly, the divine, in his thoughts and feelings. He was constantly
inquiring, Is this the way of the Lord? His was a constant growth, and he
had fellowship with the Father and the Son. This is genuine
sanctification." 6 Bible Commentary, 1098. "Did
he [Enoch] see God by his side? Only by faith. He knew that the Lord was
there, and he adhered steadfastly to the principles of truth. We, too, are
to walk With God. When we do this, our faces will be lighted up by the
brightness of His presence, and when we meet one another, we shall speak
of His power, saying, Praise God. Good is the Lord, and good is the Word
of the Lord!" l Bible Commentary, 1087. God's
Word says this: "Enoch.
. was translated to heaven Without seeing death. And those who will be
translated at the close of time, will be those who commune With God on
earth."—l Bible Commentary, 1087. Those
who will be translated will be the ones serious about living with God.
Having said that, however, beware of imagining that, if you enter more
fully upon this way of life, you will be rising to some kind of
"holiness" above others. We are talking about becoming a
little child with God. A little child has no pride of accomplishment in
his heart. Enoch had none. "To
be like God will be the one desire of the soul. This is the desire that
filled Enoch's heart . . He studied the character of God to a purpose.
He did not mark out his own course, or set up his own will, as if he
thought himself fully qualified to manage matters. He strove to conform
himself to the divine likeness." l Bible Commentary, 1087. Enoch
trusted in his heavenly Father to take care of him; and, in this
child—parent relationship, Enoch was consistent. "While
trusting in your heavenly Father for the help you need, He will not leave
you. God has a heaven full of blessings that He wants to bestow on those
who are earnestly seeking for that help which the Lord alone can give. It
was in looking in faith to Jesus, in asking of Him, in believing that
every word spoken would be verified, that Enoch walked With God. He kept .
close by the side of God, obeying His every word . . His was a wonderful
life of oneness. Christ was his Companion. He was in intimate fellowship
With God." 1 Bible Commentary, 1087. Jacob
gained the victory through surrender to God. “Jacob
was in fear and distress while he sought in his own strength to obtain the
victory. He mistook the divine Visitor for an enemy, and contended
With Him while he had any strength left. But when he cast himself upon the
mercy of God, he found that instead of being in the hands of an enemy,
he was encircled in the arms of infinite love." 1 Bible Commentary,
1095-1096. “All
penitent and broken, he clung to the Angel; "he wept, and made
supplication" (Hosea 12:4), pleading for a blessing. He must have the
assurance that his sin was pardoned. Physical pain was not sufficient to
divert his mind from this object. His determination grew stronger, his
faith more earnest and persevering, until the very last. The angel tried
to release Himself; He urged, "Let Me go, for the day breaketh";
but Jacob answered, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless
me." Had this been a boastful. presumptuous confidence, Jacob would
have been instantly destroyed; but his was the assurance of one who
confesses his own unworthiness, yet trusts the faithfulness of a
covenant-keeping God. "Jacob
'had power over the Angel and prevailed.' Hosea 12:4. Through
humiliation, repentance, and self-surrender, this sinful, erring
mortal prevailed with the Majesty of heaven. He had fastened his trembling
grasp upon the promises of God, and the heart of Infinite Love could not
turn away the sinner's plea." Patriarchs and Prophets, 197. "The
crisis in his life was past. Doubt, perplexity, and remorse had
embittered his existence, but now all was changed; and sweet was the
peace of reconciliation with God. Jacob no longer feared to meet his
brother." Patriarchs and Prophets, 198. Perhaps
you have something you need to clean up in your life. Turn to God; He can
forgive and enable you to start new—on this better way of life. If you
want to return; if you want the better life with Him—you can return, you
can have the closer walk! "In
his night of anguish beside the Jabbok, when destruction seemed just
before him, Jacob had been taught how vain is the help of man, how
groundless is all trust in human power. He saw that his only help must
come from Him against whom he had so grievously sinned. Helpless and
unworthy, he pleaded God's promise of mercy to the repentant sinner.
That promise was his assurance that God would pardon and accept him.
Sooner might heaven and earth pass than that word could fail; and it was
this that sustained him through that fearful conflict." Patriarchs
and Prophets, 198-201. Then
there is Joseph. The Bible says he was different than his brothers. He was
separate in that he did not partake of their sins. “Joseph
is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run
over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and
hated him. But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were
made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. . Even by the God of
thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee
with blessings of heaven. . "The
blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my
progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be
on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was
separate from his brethren." Genesis 49:22-26. What
enabled Joseph to be so different? He wanted a close walk with God, and he
found it. As a result, he was strengthened to resist all the temptations
encountered in a heathen land. "Then
his thoughts turned to his father's God. In his childhood he had been
taught to love and fear Him . . Now all these precious lessons came
vividly before him. Joseph believed that the God of his fathers would be
his God. He then and there gave himself fully to the Lord, and he prayed
that the Keeper of Israel would be with him in the land of his exile. "His
soul thrilled with the high resolve to prove himself true to God,—under
all circumstances to act as became a subject of the King of heaven. He
would serve the Lord with undivided heart; he would meet the trials of
his lot with fortitude and perform every duty with fidelity. One day's
experience had been the turning point in Joseph's
life." Patriarchs and Prophets, 213-214. So
it can be in your life. Make the decision and stick to it! As you become
God's little child, it can be done. Moses
lived a holy life. The word "holy," means dedicated.[sic] As we draw
close to our kind Father in utmost surrender to His will,—we also can
live such a clean, godly, dedicated life. “Amidst
the solemn majesty of the mountain solitudes, Moses was alone with God.
Everywhere the Creator's name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His
presence, and to be overshadowed by His power. Here his self-sufficiency
was swept away. In the presence of the Infinite One he realized how weak,
how inefficient, how short-sighted, is man.
"Here
Moses gained that which went with him throughout the years of his toilsome
and care burdened life—a sense of the personal presence of the Divine
One. . When misunderstood and misrepresented, when called to bear reproach
and insult, to face danger and death, he was able to endure 'as seeing Him
who is invisible.' "Moses
did not merely think of God, he saw Him. God was the constant Vision
before him. Never did he lose sight of His face. "To
Moses faith was no guesswork; it was a reality. He believed that God ruled
his life in particular; and in all its details he acknowledged Him. For
strength to withstand every temptation, he trusted in Him. "The
great work assigned him he desired to make in the highest degree
successful, and he placed his whole dependence upon divine power. He felt
his need of help, asked for it, by faith grasped it, and in the assurance
of sustaining strength went forward." Education, 63-64. Solomon
was said to be wisest man. But he did not receive it until he told God he
was a little child, and wanted God to guide His life. Then he received
wisdom to carry on his duties. Yet
it was not inherent wisdom which he received. He only had it as long as
he remained God's little child. Later, when he separated from his kind
Father, his wisdom evaporated away and Solomon's actions became
extremely selfserving and foolish. It
was when he genuinely acknowledged that he was but a little child—God's
little child—that Solomon became more fully linked with the Father of
all wisdom. "The
Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, ‘Ask what I shall give
thee.' In his answer the young and inexperienced ruler gave utterance to
his feelings of helplessness and his desire for aid . . 'I am but a little
child; I know not how to go out or come in.' " Prophets and Kings,
28. Solomon
was granted his request; but he only received the requested help as long
as he remained a little child, in submission to His Creator. "Solomon
was never so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he confessed, 'I am
but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in' "The
higher a position a man occupies, the greater the responsibility that he
has to bear, the wider will be the influence that he exerts and the
greater his need of dependence on God. Ever should he remember that with
the call to work comes the call to walk circumspectly before his fellow
men. He is to stand before God in the attitude of a learner. Position does
not give holiness of character. It is by honoring God and obeying His
commands that a man is made truly great." Prophets and Kings,
30-31. Elijah
is generally recognized as an important worker for God. Yet his call to
a special work dates back to lengthy pleadings with the Lord for his
apostate people. “As
Elijah saw Israel going deeper and deeper into idolatry, his soul was
distressed and his indignation aroused. . Unbelief was fast separating
the chosen nation from the Source of their strength. Viewing this apostasy
from his mountain retreat. Elijah was overwhelmed with sorrow. In
anguish of soul he besought God to arrest the once-favored people in
their wicked course, to visit them with judgments, if need be, that they
might be led to see in its true light their departure from Heaven." Prophets and Kings, 119-120. "It
was only by the exercise of strong faith in the unfailing power of God's
Word that Elijah delivered his message. Had he not possessed implicit
confidence in the One whom he served, he would never have appeared before
Ahab." Prophets and Kings, 121. Elijah
was experienced at drawing close to God. He knew how to get answers. "The
prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life,
to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus
continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token
that he prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be
less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It
seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when
he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour
as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came." 2 Bible
Commentary, 1035. As
with others who sought the closer walk, Daniel found that he could fully
lean upon God to encourage and care for him. "The
history of Daniel, if all was written, would open chapters before you that
would show you the temptations he had to meet, of ridicule, envy and
hatred; but he learned to master difficulties. He did not trust in his own
strength; he laid his whole soul and all his difficulties open to his
heavenly Father, and he believed God heard him, and he was comforted and
blessed. He rose superior to ridicule; and so will everyone who is an overcomer. Daniel acquired a serene and cheerful state of mind, because he
believed God was his friend and helper." 4 Bible Commentary, 1168. As
John the Baptist took time to observe the natural world and study deeply
in the Scriptures—he was led into a deep closeness with His heavenly
Father. "He
studied the revelations of God in nature. Under the guiding of the divine
Spirit, he studied the scrolls of the prophets. By day and by night,
Christ was his study, his meditation, until mind and heart and soul were
filled with the glorious vision. "He
looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was lost sight of. He beheld
the majesty of holiness and knew himself to be inefficient and unworthy.
It was God's message that he was to declare. It was in God's power and His
righteousness that he was to stand. He was ready to go forth as Heaven's
messenger, unawed by the human, because he had looked upon the
divine." 8 Testimonies, 331-332. This
close walk enabled John to more fully detect the approach of Satan, and to
resist him. "In solitude, by meditation and prayer, he sought to gird
up his soul for the lifework before him . . So far as possible, he
closed every avenue by which Satan could enter, yet he was still assailed
by the tempter. But his spiritual perceptions were clear; he had developed
strength and decision of character, and through the aid of the Holy Spirit
he was able to detect Satan's approaches, and to resist his power."
Desire of Ages, 102. “John
had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to humanity, but the
touch of divine love had transformed him. He dwelt in an atmosphere
uncontaminated with selfishness and ambition, and far above the miasma
of jealousy." Desire of Ages, 179. The
following paragraph reveals that some followers of Christ press into a
closer relationship with Him than do other Christians. Each may live in
a state of obedience by faith in Christ; yet some choose that closer walk. "These
disciples had been for some time associated with Jesus in active labor.
John and James, Andrew and Peter, with Philip, Nathanael, and Matthew,
had been more closely connected with Him than the others, and had witnessed
more of His miracles. "Peter,
James, and John stood in still nearer relationship to Him. They were
almost constantly with Him, witnessing His miracles, and hearing His
words. “John
pressed into still closer intimacy with Jesus, so that he is distinguished
as the one whom Jesus loved. The Saviour loved them all, but John's was
the most receptive spirit. He was younger than the others, and with more
of the child's confiding trust he opened his heart to Jesus. Thus he came
more into sympathy with Christ, and through him the Saviour's deepest
spiritual teaching was communicated to His people." Desire of
Ages, 292. Great
Controversy, 156-157, contains an account of Luther's prayer life. It is
quite obvious that, over the years, he had learned to press very close
into the presence of His Lord and—when the crisis came—he knew how to
pray through to victory. Numerous
examples could be cited of the childlike relation she bore to her kind,
heavenly Father. Individuals who knew her at Elmshaven testified of this
remarkable childlike quality of hers, combined with a firm stand, when
needed, for the right. Frequently,
she sorrowed over the worldliness she encountered in the world and among
her brethren. 1 Testimonies, 577-585, is a dramatic example of how God
was teaching her to find her strength in solely placing all her trust in
Him. Read it. The entire chapter is powerful, especially pages 583-584. Another
remarkable illustration of how we can rely on God alone, to carry us
through to the end, is found in the familiar journey along the narrow way
(2 Testimonies, 594-597). |
