Amazing Facts - Media Ministry All Products Free Online Library Search the Bible ProductsTrainingStudiesMediaHome Books College of Evangelism Free Bible Studies Radio Program Audio Tapes Bible Seminars Free Online Library TV Program Videos Storacle Lessons Bible Questions Bible Studies Study Guides Inside Report Magazine Music & Software Bible Universe Pocket Books: The Pastor Prescribes Buy this item Now! Proverbs 3:1 Proverbs 3:5,6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." For Those Who Need a Counselor "We should go to Jesus and tell Him all our needs. We may bring Him our little cares and perplexities as well as our greater troubles. Whatever arises to disturb or distress us, we should take it to the Lord in prayer. "We lose many precious blessings by failing to bring our needs and cares and sorrows to our Saviour. He is the wonderful Counselor." HP 74. "Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will be imparted to them, as Christ has promised." DA 668. "Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend." COL 173. See also: James 1:5; Psalm 32:8. For Those Who Feel Cut Off Revelation 3:8-"Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." "The way to the throne of God is always open." CH 362. "When we breathe out our desire, it may be inaudible to any human ear, but that word cannot die away into silence nor can it be lost, though the activities of business are going on. Nothing can drown the soul's desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the noise of machinery, to the heavenly courts. It is God to whom we are speaking, and the prayer is heard." HP 69. See also: John 15:5; Psalm 9:10; 37:9; Proverbs 3:5,6. For Those Desiring Peace Psalm 119:165-"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever." Isaiah 32:17. "Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace. There is no other ground of peace than this." HP 35. "'Peace I leave with you,' He (Christ) said, 'my peace I give unto you. ...' This peace is not the peace that comes through conformity to the world. Christ never purchased peace by compromise with evil. The peace that Christ left His disciples is internal rather than external and was ever to remain with His witnesses through strife and contention." AA 84. "Before our Lord went to His agony on the cross He made His will. He had no silver or gold or houses to leave His disciples. He was a poor man, as far as earthly possession were concerned. Few in Jerusalem were so poor as He. But He left His disciples a richer gift than any earthly monarch could bestow on his subjects. 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you,' He said. ... He left them the peace which had been His during His life on earth." HP 249. See also: Job 22:21; Romans 15:13, Philippians 4:7; John 14:27; Isaiah 26:3. For Those Who Would Complain Numbers 11:1-"And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord." "I entreat of you never to utter one word of complaint, but to cherish feelings of gratitude and thankfulness. By so doing you will be learning to make melody in your hearts. Weave into your experience the warp and woof, the golden threads, of gratitude. Contemplate the better land, where tears are never shed, where temptations and trials are never experienced, where losses and reproaches are never known, where all is peace and joy and happiness. Here your imagination may have full scope." HP 36. "Let us all forget self as much as possible, cultivate cheerfulness, seek to brighten the lives of others, and we shall then have less desire to complain of our own lot." HP 273. "The melody of praise is the atmosphere of heaven; and when heaven comes in touch with the earth, there is music and song. ... Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy." HP 94. "Do not take your troubles to human beings. Take them to the Lord. ... No one who comes to Him goes away unhelped." HP 275. See also: Isaiah 51:3; Hebrews 13:5; Philippians 4:11. For Those Who Feel Lonely Genesis 28:15-"Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest." "If we surrender our lives to His service, we can never be placed in a position for which God has not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend." COL 173. "Christ has bought us with His life, and we belong to Him." HP 42. "Those who study nature cannot be lonesome. They love the quiet hours of meditation, for they feel that they are brought in close communion with God while tracing His power in His created works." HP 9. "The prayers you offer in loneliness, in weariness, in trial, God answers, not always according to your expectations, but always for your good." GW 258. "There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. ... Circumstances may separate us from our friends; the broad, restless ocean may roll between us and them. Though their sincere friendship may still exist, they may be unable to demonstrate it. ... But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always there." AG 195. "At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith." DA 669, 670. See also: Exodus 33:14; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 121; Romans 8:35-37; Isaiah 66:13. For Those Unsure of Salvation 1 John 5:11, 12-"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." "There are souls who are trembling in unbelief. They ask, 'How can I know that God is reconciled to me? How can I be assured that He loves and pardons me?' It is not for you ... to make yourselves just with God. Jesus invites you to come to Him with all your burdens and perplexities. ... Accept the promise and the provision that God has made. ... Look away from self to Jesus." HP 16. "Many judge of their religious state by their emotions, but these are not safe criterion. Our Christian life does not depend upon our feelings, but upon our having a right hold from above. We must believe the words of God just as He has spoken them; we must take Christ at His word, believe that He came to represent the Father, and that the Father, as is represented in Christ, is our friend, and that He desires not that we should perish, or He would never have given His Son to die our sacrifice." HP 45. "God does not ask us to purchase His favor by any costly sacrifice. He asks only for the service of a humble, contrite heart, which has gladly and thankfully accepted His free gift. The one who receives Christ as his personal Saviour has in his possession the salvation provided by Christ." HP 318. "All they have to do is to believe God's Word, just as they believe one another's word. He hath said it, and He will perform His Word. Calmly rely on His promise, because He means all that He says. Say, He has spoken to me in His Word, and He will fulfill every promise that He has made. ... Act as if your heavenly Father could be trusted." 1SM 83,84. See also: John 5:24; 3:16,17. For Those Who Desire Forgiveness 1 John 1:9-"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." "God desires to restore His image in you. Believe that He is your Helper. Resolve to become acquainted with Him. As you draw nigh to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw nigh to you with mercy and forgiveness." HP 8. "You are a sinner. You cannot atone for your past sins; you cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this for you through Christ. You believe that promise. You confess your sins and give yourself to God. You will to serve Him. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill His word to you." SC 51. "Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, the guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ." DA 322. See also: Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 9:1-6; Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 8:1; Luke 15:11-24. For Those Wrestling With a Sinful Past Isaiah 43:25-"I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." "If any have dark chapters in their experience let them bury them. Let this history not be kept bright by repetition. ... Cultivate only those thoughts and those feelings which will produce gratitude and praise." HP 36. "God is not pleased to have us pass our lives in despondency and gloom, magnifying every trouble that visits us. By so doing we not only make ourselves miserable but cloud the happiness of those around us. We should not search out and linger over the dark shadows in our life experience, but rather open our eyes and arouse our senses to see and appreciate the many blessings surrounding us, which should make us not only grateful but very happy." HP 274. "It is selfish to devote our precious time to mourning over disappointed hopes, indulging in useless grief that clouds the family circle. We should be cheerful, if only for the benefit of those who depend more or less upon us for happiness. ... It is our duty to make the best of everything, and to cultivate a habit of looking at the bright side of things." HP 273. "The father of the prodigal son is the type that Christ chooses as a representation of God. ... The father says to the servants, 'Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.'" (Luke 15:21-23). "There is no taunting, no casting up to the prodigal of his evil course. The son feels that the past is forgiven and forgotten, blotted out forever. And so God says to the sinner, ... 'I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more' (Jer. 31:34)." HP 10. See also: John 3:17; Philippians 3:13. For Those Who Are Afflicted Psalm 103:2, 3-"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." "In all the sufferings and afflictions of man there is an Eye to pity, a Heart to love. ... God's tenderest care is exercised over us." HP 14. "God is just as willing to restore the sick to health now. ... And Christ is the same compassionate physician now that He was during His earthly ministry. In Him there is healing balm for every disease, restoring power for every infirmity." MH 226. "Through the agencies of nature, God is working, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, to keep us alive, to build up and restore us. When any part of the body sustains injury, a healing process is at once begun; nature's agencies are set at work to restore soundness. But the power working through these agencies is the power of God. All life-giving power is from Him. When one recovers from disease, it is God who restores him." MH 112, 113. "The laws of nature, as truly as the precepts of the Decalogue, are divine, and only in obedience to them can health be recovered or preserved. ... Every practice which destroys the physical, mental, or spiritual energies is sin, and health is to be secured through obedience to the laws that God has established for the good of all mankind." MH 113. "We may tell the Lord all our trials, tell Him all our weaknesses, tell Him all our dependence upon His might and His power. This is true prayer." HP 87. See also: Psalm 103:3, 4, 13; 40:1; Jeremiah 33:3; James 5:13-15. For Those Who Are Thankless Ephesians 5:20-"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." "The Lord God ... is jealous for His honor. How then, I inquire, does He regard the inhabitants of this world, who live in His house and from His liberal treasury are provided by Him with food and clothing but who never so much as say, Thank You, to Him?" HP 343. "If those who politely acknowledge the favors which they receive from earthly friends would realize how much they owe to God, their hearts would respond in grateful thanks for precious favors that are now unnoticed. "We do not recount God's mercies often enough. ... By our failure to express gratitude we are dishonoring our Maker. His angels, thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, are commissioned to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. They guard us against temporal evil and press back the powers of darkness." HP 101. See also: Luke 17:11-17. For Those Who Feel Their Prayers Are Unanswered Psalm 40:1-"I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." "When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will surely come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most. ... God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly." SC 96. "The answer to our prayers may not come as quickly as we desire, and it may not be just what we have asked; but He who knows what is for the highest good of His children will bestow a much greater good than we have asked, if we do not become faithless and discouraged." SD 92. "God does not always answer our prayers the first time we call upon Him; for should He do this, we might take it for granted that we had a right to all the blessings and favors He bestowed upon us. Instead of searching our hearts to see if any evil was entertained by us, and sin indulged, we should become careless, and fail to recognize our dependence upon Him, and our need of His help." AG 88. "The Father hears every prayer of His contrite children. The voice of supplication from the earth unites with the voice of our Intercessor, who pleads in heaven, whose voice the Father always hears. Let our prayers therefore continually ascend to God." HP 79. "Never a prayer is offered, however faltering, never a tear is shed, however secret, never a sincere desire after God is cherished, however feeble, but the Spirit of God goes forth to meet it. Even before the prayer is uttered or the yearning of the heart made known, grace from Christ goes forth to meet the grace that is working upon the human soul." COL 206. See also: Isaiah 65:24; Psalm 66:18; 1 Kings 18:41-45; Jeremiah 33:3. For Those Who Face Emergencies Psalm 31:2-"Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me." "Our divine Lord is equal to any emergency. With Him nothing is impossible. ... Come to Christ just as you are. ... Cast yourself wholly on His mercy. There is no difficulty within or without that cannot be surmounted in His strength." HP 17. "He will help His believing children in every emergency if they will place their entire confidence in Him and faithfully obey Him." PP 493. "In times of sudden difficulty or peril the heart may send up its cry for help to One who has pledged Himself to come to the aid of His faithful, believing ones whenever they call upon Him." PK 632. See also: Psalm 46:1; 27:5; 102:1, 2; 67:17; 70; Isaiah 65:24; Job 14:15; Lamentations 3:24-26. For Those Who Are Discouraged Psalm 31:24-"Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." "When discouragement presses heavily upon you, read the following... : "'Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? ... Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God' (Psalm 42:7-11)." HP 124. "We may be despondent, even despairing; the heavy cloud of affliction may be over us; but there is light ahead. Beyond the gloom is a sympathetic, compassionate Friend, One who does not willingly grieve or afflict the children of men." HP 14. "Walk not in the shadow of the cross. Do not give expression to weeping, lamentation, and woe; but encourage your soul to hope and joy. ... When you are deeply shadowed it is because Satan has interposed himself between you and the bright rays of the Sun of Righteousness." HP 52. See also: Deuteronomy 1:21; Joshua 1:9; Psalm 27:14; 46:1-3; 48:14; Matthew 11:28, 29; John 14:1. For Those Who Feel Unworthy 1 John 3:1-"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." "You who feel the most unworthy, fear not to commit your case to God. When He gave Himself in Christ for the sin of the world, He undertook the case of every soul. 'He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?' (Rom. 8:32). Will He not fulfil the gracious word given for our encouragement and strength?" COL 174. "Satan will come to you saying, You are a sinner. But do not let him fill your mind with the thought that, because you are sinful, God has cast you off. Say to him, Yes I am a sinner, and for that reason I need a Saviour. I need forgiveness and pardon, and Christ says that if I come to Him I shall not perish." HP 116. "Look away from yourself to Jesus. Embrace Him as your Savior. Cease to bemoan your helpless condition. ... When you feel tempted to mourn, force your lips to utter the praises of God." HP116. "If the enemy can lead the desponding to take their eyes off from Jesus, and look to themselves, and dwell upon their own unworthiness, instead of dwelling upon the worthiness of Jesus, His love, His merits, and His great mercy, he will get away their shield of faith and gain his object; they will be exposed to his fiery temptations. The weak should therefore look to Jesus, and believe in Him; they then exercise faith." EW 73. See also: Isaiah 43:25, 26; Matthew 6:26-34; 10:29-31; Romans 6:22; Philippians 4:4; 1 John 1:9. For Those Who Are Mothers Exodus 20:12-"Honor ... thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." "The prayers of Christian mothers are not disregarded by the Father of all. ... He will not turn away your petitions and leave you and yours to the buffetings of Satan in the great day of final conflict. It is for you to work with simplicity and faithfulness, and God will establish the work of your hands." CG 526. "The influence of a praying, God-fearing mother will last through eternity. She may die, but her work will endure." 4T 500. "Your compassionate Redeemer is watching you with love and sympathy, ready to hear your prayers and to render you the assitance which you need. He knows the burdens of every mother's heart and is her best friend in every emergency. His everlasting arms support the God-fearing, faithful mother." AH 204. "The king upon his throne has no higher work than has the mother. The mother is queen of her household. She has in her power the molding of her children's characters, that they may be fitted for the higher, immortal life. An angel could not ask for a higher misison: for in doing this work she is doing service for God." AH 231. For Those Who Sorrow Psalm 127:2-"It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep." "Whatever may be your circumstances, however dark and mysterious may be the ways of Providence, though the path may be through the deep waters, and trials and bereavements may afflict again and again, the assurance still comes, 'All things work together for good to them that love God' (Rom. 8:28). 'I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day' (2 Tim. 1:12)." 2SM 261. "In all your conflicts, in all the trials and perplexities of life, seek counsel from God. The path of obedience to God is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Follow step by step in the path of duty. Steep places may have to be climbed, but go forward in the path of humility, of faith and self-denial, leaving the clouds of doubt behind you. Sorrow not in a hopeless way, for the living need your care and love." 2SM 272. "Whatever our sorrow, bereavement or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend. If in our ignorance we make missteps, Christ does not leave us. His voice, clear and distinct, is heard saying, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life'" COL 173. "Sorrow comes and goes; it is the lot of man; we should not seek to magnify it, but rather dwell upon that which is bright and pleasant." HP 274. "To the believer, death is but a small matter. Christ speaks of it as if it were of little moment. ... To the Christian, death is but a sleep, a moment of silence and darkness. The life is hid with Christ in God, and 'when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.'" DA 787. "Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, not a grief pierces the soul, but the throb vibrates to the Father's heart." DA 356. See also: Psalm 30:5; 126:5; 32:10; Isaiah 43:2; Nahum 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13. For Those Desiring Salvation Revelation 3:20-"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." "God proposes cooperation with His frail, erring creatures, whom He has placed on vantage ground. On the one side there are infinite wisdom, goodness, compassion, power; on the other, weakness, sinfulness, absolute helplessness, poverty, dependence. ... Man is given the privilege of working with God in the saving of his own soul. He is to receive Christ as his personal Saviour and believe in Him. Receiving and believing is his part of the contract." HP 12. "Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, 'Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.' This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ." SC 70. "It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. ... Education, culture, the exercise of the will, human effort, all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behaviour, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ. His grace alone can quicken the lifeless faculties of the soul, and attract it to God, to holiness." SC 18. "He [Paul] longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was powerless to attain, and cried out, 'O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death?' (Romans 7:24, margin). Such is the cry that has gone up from burdened hearts in all lands and in all ages. To all, there is but one answer, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world' (John 1:29)." SC 19. See also: John 17:3; 3:16; Isaiah 55:6,7; 1:18, 19; Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-11; 8:1; Matthew 16:24; John 14:4-6. For Those Desiring to Witness Isaiah 43:10-"Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he." "A true, lovable Christian is the most powerful argument that can be advanced in favor of Bible truth." HP 318. "In every one of His children, Jesus sends a letter to the world. If you are Christ's follower, He sends in you a letter to the family, the village, the street, where you live. Jesus, dwelling in you, desires to speak to the hearts of those who are not acquainted with Him." SC 115. "Those who become children of God are under obligation to Him to do all in their power to seek and to save the lost." HP 328. "Tell those whom you visit the end of all things is at hand. ... Tell them how you found Jesus and how blessed you have been since you gained an experience in His service. Tell them what blessing comes to you as you sit at the feet of Jesus and learn precious lessons from His word. Tell them of the gladness and joy that there is in the Christian life. Your warm, fervent words will convince them that you have found the pearl of great price. ... This is genuine missionary work, and as it is done, many will awake as from a dream." 9T 38. "How may we witness for God? ... By rendering pure, whole-hearted obedience to God's law. If we will let Him, He will manifest Himself in us, and we shall be witnesses, before the universe of heaven and before an apostate world who are making void the law of God, to the power of redemption." ML 100. See also: 2 Corinthians 5:20; Matthew 28:19, 20. For Those Who Feel Hedged In Psalm 139:3-"Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways." "When we are hedged about on every side, this is the time above all others to trust in God and in the power of His Spirit." PK 595. "When the Israelites were overtaken by danger and difficulties, and their way seemed hedged up, their faith forsook them, and they murmured. ... The divine command was: 'Go forward.' They were not to wait until the way was made plain, and they could comprehend the entire plan of their deliverance. God's cause is onward, and He will open a path before His people." 4T 25. "There are times when the Christian life seems beset by dangers, and duty seems hard to perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before, and bondage or death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly above all discouragements: 'Go forward.' We should obey this command, let the result be what it may, even though our eyes cannot penetrate the darkness and though we feel the cold waves about our feet." 4T 26. "Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet." MH 481. See also: Jonah 2:1-10; Psalm 40:12, 13; 32:7, 10; Jeremiah 33:3; Proverbs 3:5,6. For Those Who Are Weak Isaiah 35:3, 4-"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not." "Not one sincere prayer is lost. Amid the anthems of the celestial choir, God hears the cries of the weakest human being." COL 174. "An appeal to Heaven by the humblest saint is more to be dreaded by Satan than the decrees of cabinets or the mandates of kings." HP 82. "No power can take out of His hands the souls that go to Him for pardon." PP 516. "He who constantly depends upon God through simple trust and prayerful confidence, will be surrounded by the angels of heaven. He who lives by faith in Christ will be strengthened and upheld, able to fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold upon eternal life." HP 16. "By prayer, by the study of His word, by faith in His abiding presence, the weakest of human beings may live in contact with the living Christ, and He will hold them by a hand that will never let go." MH 182. "God does not leave His erring children who are weak in faith, and who make mistakes. The Lord hearkens and hears their prayer and their testimony." HP 80. See also: Mark 11:24; Psalm 6:2. For Those Anxious Over Children Jeremiah 31:16-"Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they [thy children] shall come again from the land of the enemy." "Parents should make a hedge about their children by prayer; they should pray with full faith that God will abide with them and that holy angels will guard themselves and their children from Satan's cruel power." HP 90. "Fathers and mothers, at least morning and evening lift up your hearts to God in humble supplication for yourselves and your children. Your dear ones are exposed to temptations and trials. There are frets and irritations that daily beset the path of old and young; and those who would live patient, loving, cheerful lives amid daily annoyances must pray." HP 90. "It is the duty of Christian parents, morning and evening, by earnest prayer and persevering faith, to make a hedge about their children." CT 110. "The wicked one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed about His people." GC 517. "Heaven's golden gate opens not to the self-exalted. It is not lifted up to the proud of spirit. But the everlasting portals will open wide to the trembling touch of a little child." COL 404. "Parents, gather the rays of divine light which are shining upon your pathway. Walk in the light as Christ is in the light. As you take up the work of saving your children and maintaining your position on the highway of holiness, the most provoking trials will come. But do not lose your hold. ... Difficulties will arise. You will meet with obstacles. Look constantly to Jesus. When an emergency arises, ask, Lord, what shall I do now? "The harder the battle, the greater their [parents] need of help from their heavenly Father, and the more marked will be the victory gained." AH 207, 208. See also: Psalm 127; 132:12; Mark 10:14; Jeremiah 31:15-17; Acts 2:39. For Those Who Are Confused 1 Corinthians 14:33-"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." "Our Saviour ... points us to the only path that will lead to the strait gate, opening into the narrow way, beyond which lie broad and pleasant pastures. He has marked out every step of the way; and that no one may make a mistake, He tells us just what to do." HP 53. "All the perplexities of life's experience will then be made plain. Where to us have appeared only confusion and disappointment, broken purposes and thwarted plans, will be seen a grand, overruling, victorious purpose, a divine harmony." Ed 305. "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. But Satan is a vigilant, unsleeping foe, ever at work upon human minds, seeking a soil in which he can sow his tares." TM 54. "System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the universe. Order is the law of heaven, and it should be the law of God's people on the earth." TM 26 "In acquiring earthly knowledge, men have thought to gain a treasure; and they have laid the Bible aside, ignorant that it contains a treasure worth everything else. A failure to study and obey God's word has brought confusion into the world. Men have left the guardianship of Christ for the guardianship of the great rebel, the prince of darkness." CT 440. See also: Hebrews 12:2; Psalm 71:1; 2 Corin-thians 6:14-18; Matthew 11:29, 30. For Those Who Feel God Is Far Away Psalm 145:18-"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." "It is our privilege to have daily a calm, close, happy walk with Jesus." HC 97. "The oftener you engage in prayer, the closer your soul will be drawn into a sacred nearness to God." HP 89. "Christ is the connecting link between God and man. ... As we approach God through the virtue of Christ's merits we are clothed with His priestly vestments. He places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite." HP 77. "It is when ministering to others that man is most closely allied to God." HP 223. "There is no comforter like Christ, so tender and so true. He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. ... Circumstances may separate us from our friends; the broad, restless ocean may roll between us and them. Though their sincere friendship may still exist, they may be unable to demonstrate it. ... But no circumstances, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter." AG 195. See also: Psalm 119:151; Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 34:17-19; Philippians 4:6. For Those Desiring Promotion Matthew 23:12-"Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." "Those who live in close fellowship with Christ will be promoted by Him to positions of trust." HP 58. "If any are qualified for a higher position, the Lord will lay the burden, not alone on them, but on those who have tested them, who know their worth, and who can understandingly urge them forward. It is those who perform faithfully their appointed work day by day, who in God's own time will hear His call, 'Come up higher.'" MH 477. "Let those who feel that their work is not appreciated, and who crave a position of greater responsibility, consider that 'promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, ... But God is the Judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.' Psalm 75:6, 7." MH 476. For Those Who Are Passing Through Darkness Psalm 139:12-"Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." "Let faith pierce the darkness. Walk with God in the dark as well as in the light, repeating the words, 'He is faithful that promised' (Heb. 10:23). Through the trial of our faith we shall be trained to trust in God." HP 89. "When the evil one begins to settle his gloom about you, sing praise to God. When things go crossways at your homes, strike up a song about the matchless charms of the Son of God, and I tell you, when you touch this strain, Satan will leave you. You can drive out the enemy with his gloom." HP 95. "We are to send our petitions through the darkest clouds that Satan may cast over us, and let our faith pierce to the throne of God." HP 125. "Let faith pierce through the hellish shadow of Satan and center in Jesus, our High Priest, who hath entered for us within the veil. Whatever clouds overcast the sky, whatever storms surge around the soul, this anchor holds firm, and we may be sure of victory." HP 127. "Christ is the light of the world; in Him is no darkness. Precious light! Let us live in that light! Bid adieu to sadness and repining. Rejoice in the Lord always." HP 273. "When ... darkness compasses your own soul, the very best course you can pursue to get out of this darkness is to help someone else who is discouraged. As you try to lift others up, behold, you lift up yourself into close connection with God." HP 289. "Let the cloud that shadows us pass over, while we wait patiently till the clear blue sky appears and the blessed sunshine is revealed." HP 273. See also: Isaiah 43:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; John 8:12; Psalm 18:28. For Those Concerned About the World Situation Matthew 28:20-"I am with you alway, even to the end of the world." "However black the clouds that roll upon the world at the present time, there is light beyond. Ignorance, superstition, darkness, unbelief strong and masterful, will meet us at every step we advance. But our faith must soar above all and see the bow of promise encircling the throne." HP 96. "Angels are belting the world, refusing Satan his claims to supremacy, made because of the vast multitude of his adherents. We hear not the voices, we see not with the natural sight the work of these angels, but their hands are linked about the world, and with sleepless vigilance they are keeping the armies of Satan at bay till the sealing of God's people shall be accomplished." HP 98. "Upon this earth there are thousands and tens of thousands of heavenly messengers commissioned by the Father to prevent Satan from obtaining any advantage over those who refuse to walk in the path of evil. And these angels who guard God's children on earth are in communication with the father in heaven." HP 99. "Every believer who constantly realizes his dependence on God has his appointed angel, sent from heaven to minister to him. The ministry of these angels is especially essential now, for Satan is making his last desperate effort to secure the world." HP 101. "Nothing in this world can harm those who are thus honored by a close connection with God. The earth may shake, the pillars of the world may tremble under them, but they need not fear." HP 241. "Above the distraction of the earth He sits enthroned: all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best." MH 417. "Amidst the deepening shadows of earth's last great crisis, God's light will shine brightest, and the song of hope and trust will be heard in clearest and loftiest strains." Ed 166. "We are coming to the crisis. Let us stand the test manfully, grasping the hand of Infinite Power. God will work for us. We have only to live one day at a time, and if we get acquainted with God, He will give us strength for what is coming tomorrow; grace sufficient for each day, and every day will find its own victories, just as it finds its trials. We shall have the power of the Highest with us, for we shall be clad with the armor of Christ's righteousness. We have the same God that has worked for His people in ages past. Jesus stands by our side, and shall we falter?-No, as the trials come, the power of God will come with them. God will help us to stand in faith on His Word, and when we are united, He will work with special power in our behalf." ML 94. See also: Psalm 91; 46; 89:11; 91:11, 12; 27:5; 24:1; John 3:16. For Those Who are "Down and Out" Philippians 4:19-"My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." "It is difficult to exercise living faith when we are in darkness and discouragement. But this of all others is the very time when we should exercise faith. 'But,' says one, 'I do not feel at such times like praying in faith.' Well, then, will you allow Satan to gain the victory, simply because you do not feel like resisting him?" ML 14. "He [the Lord] longs to manifest Himself to us, and to reveal the abundant supplies at our disposal, and He permits trial and disappointment to come to us that we may realize our helplessness, and learn to call upon Him for aid. He can cause cooling streams to flow from the flinty rock." ML 12. "The Lord Jesus has invited you to bring your troubles to One who understands every circumstance of your life." TM 487. "Christ will prove a never-failing source of strength, a present help in every time of trouble." 2T 140. See also: Psalm 3:3; 25:1, 2; James 4:10. For Those Who Face Decisions Psalm 32:8-"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." "Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength." DA 668. "Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor." COL 173. "You endeavor to reach correct decisions regarding religious duties, and to make decisions regarding business enterprises, by the tossing up of a coin, and letting the position in which it falls decide what course you shall pursue. ... We are not to give encouragement to any such methods. ... They are not of the Lord, and those who depend upon them for direction will meet with failure and disappointment. ... The people of God can come to a correct understanding of their duty only through sincere prayer and earnest seeking for the sanctification of the Holy Spirit." 2SM 325. See also: James 1:5; Proverbs 3:5, 6. For Those Who Face Surgery Psalm 3:5-"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me." "The Saviour is present in the sickroom, in the operating room; and His power for His name's glory accomplishes great things." 2SM 284. "If there is need of a surgical operation, and the physician is willing to undertake the case, it is not a denial of faith to have the operation performed. After the patient has committed his will to the will of God, let him trust, drawing nigh to the Great Physician, the Mighty Healer, and giving himself up in perfect trust. The Lord will honor his faith in the very manner He sees is for His own name's glory." 2SM 284, 285. "Before performing a critical operation, let the physician ask for the aid of the Great Physician." MH 118. See also: Psalm 4:8; 37:5; 46:1; Proverbs 3:24; Isaiah 41:13; 43:2. _____________ Key to Abbreviations of Sources AA The Acts of the Apostles AG God's Amazing Grace AH The Adventist Home CG Child Guidance CH Counsels on Health CT Counsels to Teachers DA The Desire of Ages Ed Education EW Early Writings GC The Great Controversy GW Gospel Workers HP In Heavenly Places MB Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing MH The Ministry of Healing ML My Life Today Ms Manuscript OH Our High Calling PK Prophets and Kings PP Patriarchs and Prophets SC Steps to Christ SD Sons and Daughters of God 1SM Selected Messages, Book 1 (2SM, Book 2) 1T Testimonies, Volume 1 (2T, etc., for Volumes 2-9) TM Testimonies to Ministers Send this link to a friend. Link to Us Contact Us Projects Site Map FAQs What's New! Bible Answers Live Privacy Policy/Terms of Use - Copyright © 2004, All rights reserved.