Watch for Openings by Stephen N. Haskell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 14, 1875

Watch for Openings.

By Stephen N. Haskell

The prophet Habakkuk gives utterance to the following: “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved [argued with, margin].” If we would be instrumental in doing good, it is necessary that we stand in the counsel of God, and watch every opportunity to exert an influence that will gather with Christ. There will be no lack of opportunities for doing good when our hearts are alive in the cause of God. If our thoughts are constantly employed upon our own interests, worldly schemes and plans will involuntarily seek for utterance, and even the Sabbath hours will not yield to us their sweet, hallowed influences; for worldly enterprises and interests will engage our thoughts.

God is preparing hearts to receive the truth upon our right and upon our left; and he has committed to us talents of influence by which we can reach hearts. It is the providence of God that brings us in contact with such individuals as may be benefited by our influence. The great day of reckoning will reveal the nature of the influence which we have exerted upon them, and our reward will be according to our works.

A few years ago, while traveling from one State to another, I found myself in company with a young lady with whom I had frequently conversed upon the subject of religion. But the perfect indifference with which she had ever treated the subject led me to the conclusion that I would never again speak to her about the salvation of her soul. I changed cars; and to my surprise I found that she also made the same change, and we were again in the same coach. I began to think that perhaps God’s providence was in this, and decided that I would converse with her once more relative to her future interests. At my first question, she covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. The result was that she gave her heart to God, and in a short time followed her Lord in baptism. This occurred about seven years ago, and her life has been exemplary ever since.

Angels are continually at work preparing the soil of the heart to receive good impressions, and shall we not be co-workers with them? Shall not our hearts be alive to the spiritual wants of those with whom we associate? If we live far from God, the living connection with him will be broken, our hearts will be indifferent to the needs of others, and our souls will be full of unbelief and darkness. Then, instead of being light-bearers, we become clouds of darkness, and thus unite with evil angels in their work. Our error is then twofold; first, we do not recognize the providence of God; and, secondly, if we find a poor sin-sick soul seeking for the healing balm, we are in no condition to render the assistance needed.

If we stand in the counsel of God, we shall ever recognize the voice of the good Shepherd. “My sheep,” says the Saviour, “hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” David had a happy experience in this direction, hence he exclaims, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.”

We believe in a truth which is to find its way to the hearts of the honest everywhere. We profess to believe that those to whom God has committed this precious light are the chosen channels through which it is to reach “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” But how many are acting in harmony with this faith? How many are anxiously watching every opportunity to speak a word in its behalf? And where are the persons whose hearts are filled with joy at such openings? The truth is written out in tracts and pamphlets, and almost constantly there is an interest to read outside of those whom our efforts reach. In view of these facts, shall we fold our hands and rejoice in the prosperity of the truth, and say that we will wait until openings come to us? The openings are abundant, and it is for us to find and fill them. The fields are white already for harvest, and the Lord of the harvest bids us enter them, and whatsoever is right we shall receive. “He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.”

S. N. HASKELL.