The New Way

Some time ago I became deeply con­cerned regarding my work, because the fruitage seemed so small in com­parison to the effort put forth and the expense involved. As I looked back over the years, I recalled the many persons to whom I had presented every phase of the third angel's message, and while a few had accepted the truth and were firmly established in the message, yet the majority had not done so. True, they had not definitely rejected the truths presented, but they had not come over the deciding line and transformed their lives in obedi­ence to the truth. Why had they not done so? Was the fault in me? And if it was my fault, in just what respect had I failed?

As far as I could discover, I had worked faithfully and conscientiously through all the years, and I was deeply perplexed to know why the results were so unsatisfactory. After days and nights of restless musing and question­ing, I came to realize that this was a problem which God alone could solve for me, so I took it all to Him, and He did not turn me away. I knew that He heard my petition, and He did not keep me waiting for the answer. I shall not try to describe the view which His gracious Spirit gave me of my work. Those who have experi­enced the enlightenment and the peace and the joy which attend the presence of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, through whom God communicates with His children, will understand; and those who have not had such an ex­perience could not be made to under­stand by any words of mine. It is a personal experience which one feels and knows, but cannot describe.

There was revealed to me defect after defect which marred the record of my life service. The realization brought anguish of soul, but through the years I had come to know my heav­enly Father, and I was confident of His great love for me, and that I loved Him with all my heart, and so I gladly yielded to receive the needed discipline. As near as I can come to summing up in few words the root of failure, I would say that it was lack of faith in God. Out of that came pride, self-sufficiency, a lot of fussing which centered around self, et cetera. But I saw and acknowledged it all; I confessed my failures and shortcom­ings; and I thanked my heavenly Fa­ther, oh, so heartily, for sending me the answer to my prayer.

Then there came to me a new vision, —a view of the right way, the way of absolute surrender and complete de­pendence upon God, in which self had no part anywhere. While I thought I had known all this for years, I now saw that I. had only known it as a theory. When I entered into the real experience, I knew that I had never traveled that road before. Instinc­tively I asked my Father to take my hand and lead me in this new path which He had opened before me. I turned to the Book, God's word to me, and like a child I looked up to my heavenly Father and said, "Show me the new way mapped out in the Guide­book," and He did.

Then there came into my mind again the thought of the souls about whom I had been troubled, those for whom I had labored during all the years, and those who were just then at the point of decision. But the precious promises of God covered every anxiety. I knew that I had been forgiven for every mis­take and failure which I had made, and I had the assurance that not one of these souls would be lost because of any failure of mine. I caught a glimpse of a new depth to the mean­ing of God's forgiveness, and I remem­bered that when Jesus forgave the par­alytic, He also removed the results of the sins which had been forgiven. So I know that God's will shall be accom­plished in the lives of those to whom I have been privileged to teach the message. Just how the work for these individuals will be finished, or by whom, does not matter; but it will be done as God sees best. I cannot express the joy and the satisfaction which are found in the way of abso­lute surrender and complete dependence upon God.       

A Bible Worker