He Will Finish His Work
By H. F. Ketring
As we review in our minds the signs of the coming of the Lord, it seems that time can last only a little longer. But when we turn our eyes upon the vast missionary fields practically untouched, our hearts would fail us, and it would seem as though our hopes would never be realized, if it were not for the blessed assurance that “He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness.” The Lord has not promised to begin the work, but “he will finish the work.” If it were not for that promise, we could never have the courage to begin a work so mighty as the preaching of this gospel of the kingdom “in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” If it depended upon us to finish the work, we could never hope to live to see the Lord come. Therefore, we show our faith in God’s promise to finish the work when we set about ourselves to begin it. God cannot finish the work nor cut it short until it is begun. The work of preaching the gospel unto all nations must be finished. So our duty is made very plain—to begin the work among all nations. Our hearts are stirred as we contemplate the magnitude of the work that confronts us. In this field, on the west coast of this “neglected continent” of South America, there is a population of about ten million souls. Nor can all these be reached by the Spanish language, the language of the country. In the interior are several million aborigines, among whom a number of dialects are spoken, very little of which is known by the white man. We must begin work among these, but what can less than half a dozen workers do? Our hearts rejoice as we read in the Review the reports from other points at the front, of how our workers are pushing into the interior of Africa and other dark continents; and we are stimulated to consecrate every energy and faculty of our being to start the work in all parts of this great field, before the finishing time comes. But we must work fast, as we have a great work to do. “The harvest truly is plenteous; but the laborers are few.” While we therefore pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers into the harvest, we must be active if we would see our prayers answered.