LOOK ON THE FIELDS by Estella Houser

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 30, 1900

“LOOK ON THE FIELDS.”

By Estella Houser

ESTELLA HOUSER.

The supreme duty of the church to-day is to carry the last message of mercy to earth’s remotest bounds. The Lord’s work is to receive our first consideration. Our time, our talents, our energies,—indeed, our entire being,—are to be devoted to this one object—the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom to all the world. No one can put his hand to this work without personal blessing, and no one can neglect it without serious spiritual loss.

Nothing, outside of actively engaging in the work itself, so expands the heart, enlarges the sympathies, and develops a Christlike charity, as a thorough and prayerful study of God’s world-wide work.

The command from the throne is: “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”

Every communication from the laborers who stand at the front in giving this message to the world, demonstrates the verity of God’s promise. “He that reapeth . . . gathereth fruit unto life eternal;” and in the great reckoning, all who have borne a part in this work, either in sowing or in reaping, will rejoice together.

A brief look at a few of the fields already entered by the Third Angel’s Message will illustrate what may be seen in any field if studied.

But a few years ago not a single representative of the Third Angel’s Message had entered Japan. To-day, although we have but one church, there are interested persons in many parts of the empire. This interest has been developed by the Japanese paper, Owari No Fukuin (The Gospel for the Last Days), which our laborers have published at their own expense, and circulated as widely as their means would permit. As a result, they have more calls for help than the present corps of workers can answer.

At Nagasaki, in the extreme southeastern part of Japan, five have recently taken their stand for the truth, and several are investigating its merits. This interest was first created by a lady physician who went to Tokio for special work, and while there came in contact with our mission workers, and began to keep the Sabbath, and afterward returned to her home to labor for others. Some of those who have just begun to obey the Lord have been turned out of their homes in consequence, but they evince a firmness and a steadfastness worthy of imitation.

At Wakamatsu, about one hundred and thirty miles directly north of Tokio, a large company became interested through reading the paper. A native minister wrote to Tokio for a laborer, but when it was learned that he taught the observance of the Sabbath, the church that had been offered was refused unless he would promise to say nothing about the Sabbath. On the other hand, homes were opened, and several persons are eagerly studying the word of God. One or two have already taken their stand on the Lord’s side.

Through the dissemination of our literature, the message is going to all parts of Japan, for which we thank the Lord. But where are the reapers to follow the printed page? In this empire of forty-three million eight hundred thousand persons—a population equal to more than half that of the United States—we have just ten workers. Japan is indeed a field “white already to harvest.”

At both our mission stations in South Central Africa the Lord has especially set his seal to the work. The spirit of devotion and sacrifice manifested by the young men who have been converted there during the last eighteen months is indeed inspiring. Their highest ambition seems to be to fit themselves to become laborers among their own people. Many of them are doing more to give the gospel to the heathen about them than are we who enjoy all the blessings and privileges of an enlightened land.

Two of the young men from the home station have recently opened a school in one of the neighboring kraals, to be conducted in the afternoon. We await with interest the development of their work.

From Kupavula the laborers write that if we could attend their Friday evening prayer and social meeting, we should see that our labor—for their labor is ours—is not in vain in the Lord. The Lord is indeed being magnified among the heathen. There are precious souls in other parts of Matabeleland, and of Africa as well, who would rejoice in the present truth were it carried to them. Other stations should be opened. But this can not be done without additional help.

In the islands of the Pacific thus far entered, the message is advancing steadily. While the Sabbath-keepers in the Cook Islands have been persecuted because of their fidelity to God’s law, they have grown more firm, and the persecution has really led others to appeal for help, that they, too, might be taught the way of life more perfectly. Several months ago at Titikaveka a company of more than twenty-five persons came out in a body, obeying the little truth they had, and earnestly pleading for a teacher. As yet no one has been provided—our laborers visiting them as often as their time will permit.

From the Fiji Islands the same report of blessing and progress is received. Elder Fulton, with his family, has recently made a tour of the islands, in the missionary boat “Cina.” They distributed a large quantity of tracts and papers. There is general poverty among the natives; and while they are anxious to read, few can buy reading-matter. Some Fijian tracts have recently been published at Cooranbong. The amount of such work which can be done is limited only by our resources. In the majority of the islands there is no religious literature, and many persons gladly receive anything that will enable them better to understand the word of God.

And so we might continue. The blessing of the Lord is with his ambassadors. Souls once in the darkness of heathenism rejoice in the light of present truth, and bear their part in giving it to others. A look at every field brings the same facts to view. Where we are preaching the gospel, progress is being made; but almost invariably with the report of progress comes an appeal for additional workers. Shall we not pray the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his harvest?

We have not yet fully appreciated the interdependence of the work in the home land and the work abroad. We have certainly reached the hour when a broader and more far-reaching missionary spirit than has yet characterized this denomination should take possession of us. God has placed in our power the means to bring this about. “Look on the fields.” “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” Prayer and missions are closely interwoven. As we study the field, we can pray intelligently. If this is done, those whom God would have go will know it by a definite call, and others will be just as clear that their duty is to sustain the work and the workers.

We praise God to-day that the interest in foreign missions is growing; that in the home field broader plans are being laid to support this work. Long enough have the forces of evil delayed the coming of our Lord. We can hasten it only by carrying this message to all the nations of the world. We can do it by our prayers, by our offerings, and by using our influence to encourage others to bear some part. Such efforts will not be without their results, even in our own experiences. It is the ordinance of God that his people in watering shall be watered, in blessing shall be blessed, and in exercising their gifts shall increase them.