Personal Effort by D. L. Moody

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · May 16, 1878

Personal Effort.

By D. L. Moody

THERE are a great many of us who are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us willing to do little things. The mighty sermon on regeneration was preached to one man. There are many who are willing to preach to thousands, but are not willing to take their seat beside one soul, and point that soul to the blessed Saviour. We must get down to personal effort, this bringing one by one to the Son of God. We can find no better example of this than in the life of Christ himself. Look at that wonderful sermon he preached to that one woman at the well of Samaria. He was tired and weary, but he had the time and the heart to preach to her. This is but one of many instances in the life of the Master, from which we may learn a precious lesson. If the Son of God had time to preach to one soul, cannot every one of us go and do the same? Look at the work of John Wesley; the world never saw a hundred such men living at the same time. The trouble is, we are afraid to speak to men about their souls. Let us ask God to give us grace to overcome this man-fearing spirit.—D. L. Moody.