WHAT THE LORD HAS WROUGHT
By Ole Andres Olsen
More than one year has passed since I placed before the readers of the REVIEW the difficulties and distresses that had come to the cause of God in Scandinavia by the financial crisis experienced at Christiania, Norway, which compelled our mission publishing house there to suspend payment. At the same time I also made mention of the manner in which our church there and all our people in that country had related themselves to the situation; namely, by humbling of soul, confession of sin, and a new consecration to the Lord and His work. In doing so we all experienced a great blessing, and received the assurance that the Lord would interpose in behalf of His own cause, and work a deliverance, so that God's precious cause and His holy name should not suffer the reproach and disgrace that the failure of a missionary institution would bring. But after this the outlook became less hopeful, and for a time matters took such a shape that the saving of the institution seemed an impossibility, and to all appearances the faith and hope for deliverance that had given us so much joy and comfort were to be frustrated. Those were trying days; for it seemed as if the very foundation of our faith and confidence in God and His word was to be taken from us. But the Lord did not mean it so. It was only a trying of the faith; for in His own good time the Lord wrought most gloriously. Yes, just at the time when the general outlook seemed the darkest, and salvation the farthest off, it was nearest at hand. This had often been the experience of God's people in the past. The Spirit of God moved on the hearts of His people, and in a council of the leading brethren at Battle Creek it was decided to raise the funds necessary to meet the whole indebtedness, and to send the creditors a proposition to pay the same in six semiannual payments. When this good news came to us, we could not do otherwise than praise God with a loud voice; for it was the Lord's doings, and was wonderful in our eyes. When we brought the proposition to the attorney who had the matter in hand, his face lighted up with smiles, and he assured us that the creditors would gladly accept the proposition. Looking back over the year's experience, the hand and care of the Lord are indeed manifest in every turn of events that has taken place. When we were harassed by tedious delays, which kept us in uncertain suspense,—even this was all of the Lord, His hand holding matters in abeyance till arrangements could be made for the saving of the name and cause of God from reproach. Had the creditors made their decisions as promptly as we naturally desired, the final result might have been very different from what it is. The mercy of God is also manifested in the remarkable kindness and leniency shown by the creditors. They have all manifested a most wonderful confidence in our integrity and sincerity, believing that we would do our utmost to save the denomination from disgrace and the creditors from loss. And when the proposition to pay the whole, as already mentioned, was made, one of the creditors was heard to say: “This is just what I expected. I knew they would do the right thing.” Another interesting feature is that no mention whatever has been made in the public press of the failure of our publishing house. Other failures have been mentioned and freely written up, but not a word has appeared in reference to our difficulty. I learn, too, that many have understood that our institution was closed, and our work stopped, but such is not the case. We have continued to occupy the premises, and have gone on with our work unmolested all this time; and the casual observer would see no difference from former days, only in the amount of work done. All this is but an evidence of the care and mercy of God over His own work. Would that all His people and all connected with any and all of our institutions could appreciate the sacredness of the place, and that every moment they are most closely watched by unseen intelligences. It would surely lead us to walk more softly and to be more careful of our words and our conduct in the presence of the Holy One. The affairs of the publishing house are now so far adjusted that the propositions made to our creditors have been accepted, and the first installment has been paid. It now remains for us to meet these installments as they become due; and in doing this the honor of God's name is vindicated, and the cause saved from the reproach and disgrace that the enemy of truth and righteousness was desirous to bring upon it. For this deliverance we praise and magnify the name of the Lord. With reference to the Skodsborg Sanitarium in Denmark, we are glad to say that the providences of God are just as manifest there, as they have been in connection with the Christiania publishing house. Beginning without sufficient capital, and without experience in managing such a work, at the same time desiring to place the institution and the work on a footing that could and would do the noble cause justice, required more funds than we commanded, and was a greater task than we were prepared to carry, and consequently we have been brought into straitened and trying circumstances. Many times we have been, as it were, on the verge of failure, but in every extremity the Lord has opened a way of escape, and His special blessing has been over the work in a marked manner. During the year 1900 the work of the institution has been blessed above our highest expectations. The house has been filled with a good class of guests, and the results of the work have been most satisfactory. The influence for good going forth from the institution can be fully revealed only in the day of the Lord. We have already seen much, but much more will yet appear, for which we feel thankful and give God the glory. While the experience has been severely trying, especially to Dr. Ottosen, still the lessons learned and the experience gained will be of inestimable value to us all in further prosecution of the work. May the blessing of the Lord rest upon those who have come to our rescue in times of need. While we praise God for deliverance in the past, we are not as yet beyond the need of further assistance. The work being started without capital, it is absolutely necessary that the needed funds be raised, so that the work may continue to prosper. I am much rejoiced over the utterances of faith and courage expressed by many of our people. Has not the time come for us to rise as one man, not only to meet and pay the obligations resting on the Christiania publishing house, establish the Skodsborg Sanitarium on a good basis, and raise the debts on our schools, but to lift the encumbrances from all our institutions, and thus roll away the reproach from God's precious cause, and raise the signal for deliverance all along the line? But can that be done, some one will ask? We answer, Yes, with all confidence. This is the time for a faith, courage, and spirit such as Caleb possessed when he said: “If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.” Num. 14: 8, 9. Let us not tempt God by limiting His power to work in our behalf, nor by doubting His presence with us (see Ps. 78: 41, 42, 22), but with all our soul consecrate ourselves and all that we are and have to God and His service; for “there is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deut. 33: 26, 27. “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.”