p. 8 | A Talk in the Night

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 24, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 20.

A Talk in the Night

My Busy Brother, how busy are you? "Every moment filled"? Well, that is good. "An idle brain is the devil's workshop," and Satan ever "finds work for idle hands to do." Rejoice therefore that you are busy. You do not have time to brood over your sorrows, or to listen to the numerous temptations which lure to lust and death.

"Labor is rest from the sorrows that greet us, Rest from all petty vexations that meet us, Rest from sin promptings that ever entreat us, Rest from world sirens that lure us to ill."

Take pleasure — real, genuine, solid pleasure — in your work. So shall you find life in it.

Do you have your work systematized? Are you master of your work? or is your work master of you? Are you crowding your work? or does your work crowd you? Which ought to be?

Do you in a measure at least have a place for everything, and everything in its place, a time for everything, and everything in its time? Or do you have a place for everything, and everything in every place, and a time for everything, and everything in every time?

Which of the two above plans do you follow? If the latter, do you not think it is about time to change? And is there any better time to begin the change than now?

You profess to be a Christian. You believe God. You believe the Bible to be His revelation to man. You believe in the necessity of knowing His will and doing it IF you are to meet acquittal at the bar of God.

But how much time do you take in reading that Word? You have not read it at all to-day? You thought there was not time? Is that true? You did not seek God to-day. You arose from bed this morning with your thoughts full of business and work, and forgot — yes, actually forgot — the first of all duties, the basis of all true business, to seek God.

Do you not think that you lost time by it? But you have spent many wakeful hours thinking upon business to no profit. Think! Suppose you had sought God for strength this morning, had come into closer fellowship with Him, had walked in the assurance of His presence; do you not think you might have been saved from the hasty word you uttered to a faithful employee over a perfectly excusable mistake? It hurt him, made your own heart bitter, weakened your reputation, and gave you a miserable day. A little while alone with God would have placed the balance of forces on the other side, and assured you a glorious victory.

Begin now; form purpose to stand as long as you live, that the first of the day shall be begun with communion between yourself and God. You are weak; He is strong. You are foolish; He is wise. You are ignorant; He has all knowledge. You are therefore needy; and your need is the mightiest argument for adequate supply of his love and fulness. Now with the good resolve to do this, go to sleep. We will talk further upon the matter some other time.