Your ShelfYour Projects

The Precious Promises

14%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Jun 6, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 23.

Read the full edition

The Precious Promises

By George O. States

SINCE our daughter left home to engage in her school work, my wife and I have been alone, and both of us in poor health. At times a loneliness has come over us which has been hard to endure.
One Sabbath morning I had a longing to meet with our people. As I opened the Bible for worship, I read: "Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."
Never in all my experience had God's promises seemed so real to me as they did that morning. I called to mind how, nearly thirty years ago, we left our farm in Michigan in response to the Master's call, and started tent-meetings to give the message. I thought of some dear souls that we encouraged to accept the truth. I thought of my labors since then, in Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, and Utah, and of how the Lord had given me some dear souls for my hire.
O brethren and sisters, there is no satisfaction to be compared with that which comes from laboring in God's cause, and feeling that you have had some part in hastening that glad day. While I am not able now to meet with our people, or to have an active part in giving the message, I thank the dear Lord that I can speak a few words to encourage those who are out in the front of the battle. To those who have left the comforts of the home land and are enduring the hardships of the foreign fields I want to say, Courage, brethren and sisters, the city is almost in sight; be faithful, and soon we shall see Christ coming. Never in all my experience has this truth seemed so precious to me.
As I examine the fundamental principles of this message, I am more and more convinced that this is God's truth, and that it is gathering out a people for the kingdom that Christ promised to those who shall endure unto the end.
GEO. O. STATES.