A Daily walk with God

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 30, 1875

A Daily walk with God.

[THE following is an extract from the biography of a pious man, written by a friend who attended him during his last illness.]

One night when all had retired to bed, I was with him alone. When sitting with his hands clasped upon his knees, his eyes shut, and his head bent forward, he thus addressed me in short sentences, spoken under breath, uttered slowly, and very solemnly: “Humble yourself as a little child. Follow your Master, do not go before. Pray without ceasing; wrestle with God in prayer. Our natural temperament cannot be destroyed; it must be regulated. If any one will follow me, said our Lord, let him take up his cross daily. ‘Be ye holy; for I am holy!’ Oh, it is not easy to realize the life of God in us all the day.” “Have you been able to do it?” I asked. He nodded and smiled. “It was long with me a fearful battle,” he replied. “With every one it is a sore battle at first; but it must be done. And when done,” he added, opening his eyes with an expression of joy, “it is inexpressibly delightful.”

“We should have our house,” he continued after a pause, “well ordered before God. Everything in it should as much as possible reflect Heaven; for Heaven must in everything begin here. We should esteem in our house the Bible as the best, the sweetest book. I love the custom in pious families in Wurtemburg of reading it after dinner. We must daily live above carnal joys. The Spirit of God should pervade everything, that we may live holily, live solemnly,” and again opening his eyes and speaking emphatically, “live cheerfully.”

“When disposed to exceed in anything we should pause and ask such questions as these, Will this please God? Will it grieve the Spirit of God which dwelleth in me? Oh, the blessedness of the divine life!” “How think you it shall best be attained?” I asked.

“I should say, Begin early with prayer. Let your first thoughts be given to God. When you rise, kneel before God and humble yourself as a child, that he may lead you through the day. Think of him when you are dressing. Prayer should not be put off till after breakfast.” Then rising up in his chair, and looking with earnestness and speaking with energy, he said, “This I have found to be of inexpressible importance. If our devotions are deferred until after the interruptions of the forenoon, the devil may get upon our backs and ride us all day. I love to give God my first, my freshest, thoughts and hours.”

On asking him more particularly about his own method of devotion he said, “I commune with God through his word and Spirit. I do not on such occasions read critically. If difficulties present themselves I pass them by; in the meantime, when any verse occurs especially applicable to myself, I dwell upon it. As I read I ask God for his Spirit, afterward I pray at length. I have no prescribed time, but try to enjoy it as long as I can. Last winter I confined myself to the three gospels. I am now reading John’s gospel. I have been living and feeding on the life of Christ.”