No Effort Lost by G. D. Ballou

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 16, 1883

No Effort Lost.

By G. D. Ballou

NEARLY all of us are inclined to become discouraged if we do not see immediate results of our work as ministers or missionary laborers. No doubt this looking for immediate results comes from our judging spiritual things too much by temporal matters. We should remember that we are only sowers and tillers in the gospel field. God has charge of the harvest. “Paul may plant and Apollos water, but God giveth the increase.” We may assist in the work, so as to hasten the harvest, and by faithful labor we may at last rejoice with the angel reapers around the throne of God. Incidents are continually transpiring that should give us courage to labor on, whether we see immediate results or not.

A few years ago one of our young preachers spent two weeks in a new place, preaching part of the time to three hearers—a husband and wife and their daughter. This winter Brother McClure held a few meetings in another part of this county, and this same family were in attendance. They had moved here and now the wife and daughter, having meditated for years on what they first heard, joyfully accepted the whole truth after hearing a few sermons.

Another family whose friends, some of them now dead, had for years been occasionally sending them the SIGNS and tracts, attended a few of our meetings in Ferndale, and are now obedient to the last message.

Another, who had read the SIGNS more or less for years, through the kindness of friends, and had been a bitter opposer to the Sabbath truth, has yielded his heart fully to the precepts of the Most High.

In our daily visiting we find hearts that have been deeply stirred by the present truth, by reading only a few copies of the SIGNS. Wherever we go we find the way has been prepared for us by the missionary work already done. We find it easy to sell books and take full subscriptions for the SIGNS; and we find friends among the people, who gladly extend to us the hospitalities of their homes, because we are connected with the people who have sent them the papers and tracts. Our hearts are filled with gratitude to God for present truth, and for such efficient means of spreading it, and for a people who are thus willing to help advance the work.

Labor on, dear brethren and sisters, the Lord is preparing the earth for the reaping time. Help to scatter the precious seed. Labor with a heart in the work. Do all you do heartily as unto the Lord. Labor cheerfully, patiently, and faithfully, and none of your efforts will be lost.

G. D. BALLOU. Humboldt Co., Cal., Aug. 2, 1883.