Untitled article by SHINING LIGHT

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, November 19, 1867

SELFISH CHOOSING, THIS OR THAT.

By SHINING LIGHT

“For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.” Prov. i, 29. Reader, have you a right to choose this thing or that thing as fancy dictates, things spiritual or temporal, without first seeking wisdom from above, the Lord’s counsel for direction? Can you? dare you? “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Prov. iii, 6.

“’Tis yet, through grace, within our power To choose what we would be; On the decision of an hour, Depends eternity.”

To follow our own leadings is unwise, dangerous, rebellious. We have no right, as creatures of God, sustained by his bounties, in whom we live, move, and have our being, to choose for ourselves. Submission, unreserved, is our position at the feet of Jesus, saying, “Lord, what wilt thou have me do? Speak, for thy servant heareth.” Let God choose? Certainly, our friends, our occupations, our place of residence, our associations, our fields of usefulness, our thoughts, our words, our actions, our prayers, preaching, exhortations, testimonies, our conversations; all our public and private ministrations, should be exclusively under the movings or dictation of the Holy Spirit, that wisdom which cometh from above, “which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” “The preparation of the heart, and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord.” “I created the fruit of the lips, peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord.” Isa. lvii, 19. “There is not a word in my tongue,” saith the Psalmist, “but thou knowest it altogether.”

“We are, we were not! here our mind Looks round with hopes and fears.”

This permitting God to choose for us in all things is no more nor less than living by faith every moment—watching unto prayer—“being careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, making known our requests unto God.” Here is safety, peace, salvation. Reader, how is it with you? Are you attempting to choose for yourself, running before you are sent? taking the reins of government out of the hands of the Almighty? Beware of shoals and quicksands! What shall we think of a blind man choosing to walk without a safe guide through dangerous passes, or on the verge of a fearful precipice, exposed momentarily to the liability of being dashed to atoms? God says, “I will bring the blind by a way they know not; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight; these things will I do unto them and not forsake them.” Moses said to the Lord, “Except thy presence go with me, take us not up hence.” “Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell and get gain. Whereas ye know not what will be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings; all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” James iv, 13–17.

“This hour, this moment, let us take The narrow, upward path; This hour, this moment, all forsake The broad down-road to wrath.”

AUTHOR “SHINING LIGHT.”