Keep at It | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · Sep 9, 1875

Keep at It.

THERE are many discouragements in the path of Christian labor. Seeds fall by the wayside, and become the prey of fowls. Thorns choke the growing grain. Many, like stony-ground hearers, in time of persecution are offended and fall away. Tares get scattered among the springing wheat. Opposers rise up and seek to hinder the work and word of God. Friends forsake, and foes prevail. Slander wags its venomed tongue. Faith falters, and courage fails, and the timorous sink down discouraged and dismayed.

What then? Why, simply keep at it. God lives: the work is his; the means are his; the power and the victory are his; and we have only to keep at our work, doing the right thing at the right time, and casting the whole burden of prosperity and success upon the everlasting arm of Him, who, when Paul has planted, and Apollos watered, alone can give the increase.

We are to sow the good seed, the word of God. Let us take heed that we make no mistake here. The sower soweth the word; not whims, and fancies, theories, guesses, sentiments and doctrines of men; but the old, solid, abiding word of the Lord, which stands when empires fall; which shall endure when heaven and earth shall pass away. This word in its letter and in its spirit, in its fullness and in its richness, we are to pour into the ears of a dying world;—we are to scatter as the choicest seed on every hand. Much will be wasted, but we must sow all the more. Thirty, sixty, and an hundred fold shall be our recompense, and eternal glory will be our reward. And we must search in all out-of-the-way corners for a place to sow this seed. Wherever there is soil let there be seed for that soil, and let us sow carefully, liberally, and constantly. And we must not be deterred by clouds and storms, nor by cold and rain; we must sow in the morning, and sow in the evening; sow when strong, and sow when weak; sow in faith, and sow in hope; and not turn back to fight the birds, nor traverse the field to pull up the tares, but just keep at the work—moving onward in faith and hope and zeal, until eternal joy shall be our great reward.

We would gladly encourage every fainting and desponding worker who truly loves the service of his Lord; and bid God speed to every faithful laborer in the cause of God. Let us not be discouraged by trials, difficulties and obstacles. Let us not expect too much of men, but let us expect everything of God. Let us not repine at our lot; but keep at our work doing the best we can, each in our little sphere, and working solely for the Lord and for his glory. Enemies will hinder, scoffers will rail, work will seem vain, and difficulties will multiply, but we must keep at it! Let us find out our work for the Master, and do it in the fear of the Lord, looking to him for present assistance, and trusting him for ultimate reward. —Sel.