Trust in God by Stephen Nelson Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 23, 1883

Trust in God.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

THERE is nothing so important as to obey God. A heart that is confiding and trusting in the Lord is much to be desired. To hope in the mercy of God and to confide in his promises is a state of mind that the Lord fully approves. It is not the great things men do that recommend them to God. David says: "He delighteth not in the strength of the horse; he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy."

Job confidingly trusted God, and his case most clearly illustrates the final result of those that implicitly confide in God. Although it was Satan that brought destruction on Job's substance, that caused the wind to blow and destroyed his sons and daughters, we read

that "in all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." He did not acknowledge Satan in the calamity which came upon him, but he said: "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Saul thought that there was a better way than to destroy all those nice cattle of the Amalekites. He thought it would be an excellent plan to bring Agag, the king of the Amalekites, as a trophy of his victory; and he spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, "to sacrifice unto the Lord." But God said to him: "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

God marks the least deviation from his requirements, and when there is a knowing departure from the path of duty, he regards it as a sin. He weighs the motive and the heart. He gave special instruction to Israel concerning their appearing before him at the three annual feasts: "Thrice in the year shall all your men-children appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders; neither shall any man desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year." These feasts would require not less than five weeks of their time. The Passover feast continued seven days, also the feast of Pentecost, but the great day of Atonement and the feasts connected with it continued for three weeks, and at each of these feasts they were to bring offerings before the Lord. There were enemies which surrounded them and were thorns in their side. Oftentimes they made inroads upon them, and destroyed their fields of grain; and it would be an excellent opportunity for this while they were gone up to Jerusalem at these feasts; but God here made the special promise that no man would desire their land when they went up to appear before the Lord thrice in the year. He would bless them in their basket, and in their store; he would cast out the nations before them, and enlarge their borders.

This continual going up to Jerusalem and making such numerous offerings prevented them from becoming worldly minded. It continually kept their minds upon eternal things. God is no less particular to-day. He has commanded us to meet upon his holy Sabbath, and it is as important that we have general convocations like camp-meetings, and to put away worldliness, in this day of the world, as it ever was for the children of Israel.

The Saviour gives special warning lest we become overcharged with the cares of this life, and that day come upon us unawares. He never gives a warning unless there is danger. The more frequently we can meet to seek and serve God, and the larger the convocations we have, the more spiritual we shall become, and the better prepared to meet the Lord in peace. If we all could realize the importance of meetings and of bringing offerings to God at these gatherings, and giving ourselves wholly to the service of God, a different state of things would exist, and many more would be present; and God would not only care for us at the meeting, and for our substance at home, but we should see of his salvation in many more embracing the truth.

We hope to see more of a breaking away from worldly influence than there has been in the past. We have ten full days at San Jose to worship God, the same number that the disciples had at Jerusalem when they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

S. N. HASKELL.