Is the Lord among Us? by Raymond F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jan 17, 1884

“Is the Lord among Us?”

By Raymond F. Cottrell

“AND he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?” See Ex. 17:1-7.

Though the Lord was invisible, and not present to the senses like the idols and graven images of the heathen, yet he had given sufficient evidence of his presence and protection in bringing them out of Egypt and through the sea. These unmistakable evidences should not have been forgotten in a day. We all now think they should have trusted God, who had displayed such wonders in their behalf, and should not immediately, when brought into trial, have given themselves to unbelief and murmuring, and skeptically asking, Is the Lord among us or not? Such unbelief we all now condemn. We think, Had we been there, we should have trusted our merciful and powerful Deliverer.

But have we learned, my brethren, believers in present truth, the lesson of perfect trust? In addition to the light of the past which has been put on record for us, God has led us to our present position by the prophecies and their fulfillment, and the help of the Holy Spirit. The evidences given we have been compelled to accept, and we have started out to walk in the light, and prepare for the coming of the King in his beauty. Our work is mentioned in prophecy, and those who “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” in these last days are a prophetic people. We cannot deny the truth of the position to which God has led us any more reasonably than the Israelites could doubt that God was leading them according to the promise made to Abraham: “And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” Gen. 15:14. Yet how often doubts and fears are indulged, and come to the surface, if not in open apostasy, in such significantly skeptical questions as, “Whither are we drifting?” As individuals, we may be drifting into infidelity, which will end in perdition; but the work of God is going forward to the promised end. What God has promised is being fulfilled, and it will all be fulfilled. We need not tremble with fear of the failure of this message, which is already going to “many peoples, and nations, and kings, and tongues.” We need not fear that this cause will drift downward. We need not doubtfully ask, “Is the Lord among us?” All we have to do is to work in harmony with this work, believing the promises of God, and relying on their fulfillment.

The Lord is with us if we are with him. Individually, we have a work to do; and if we faithfully perform the work allotted to us, we shall witness the fulfillment of all that God has promised. His work will finally be successful, though thousands may fall through unbelief. “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Heb. 4:11. R. F. COTTRELL.