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"AS A LITTLE CHILD"Vance FerrellTime to Come Home
You
can do it! It is not hard to do the right when you have the Lord on your
side.
Far
better than living in a halfway house somewhere between God and the world.
And
far too often you then slip on down into the miseries of the devil's camp. I plead with you: Take this opportunity to break loose—and come out.
Be
done with mediocre meaningless living uncertain as to what eternity holds
for you.
Come
over to the cleft in the Rock, and crawl in. There is only room for a
little child inside. There you will find the peace of heart you have always wanted. It is worth any cost.
And what do you set aside? Things not really worth keeping.
And
what becomes yours? The sweetness of being close to your Father. Isn't that what you have always wanted? ContentsPART ONE: THE DEEPER EXPERIENCE
Is
the Deeper Walk a Necessity?
Spirit
of Prophecy: Submitting the Will to God
Spirit
of Prophecy: The Possibilities Held out before Us
Bible
Promises for Those Who Draw Closer
Spirit
of Prophecy: The Father and His Children
A
Spirit of Prophecy Blueprint for Coming to God Postscript: The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength Deepening Your Walk with God"If
you will seek the Lord and be converted every day; if you will of your own
spiritual choice be free and joyous in God; if with gladsome consent of
heart to His gracious call you come wearing the yoke of Christ,—the
yoke of obedience and service,—all your murmurings will be stilled, all
your difficulties will be removed, all the perplexing problems that now
confront you will be solved." Mount of Blessing, 101 "And
Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them.
And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the
kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-4 This
is how the redeemed will live with God in heaven. Why not start now? Do
you dare wait till later to begin the deeper walk? Besides,
you are not being selfish in choosing the best. You will please your kind
Father, and help those around you. By your example, they will be more
likely to choose the better way also. Isn't this why you are here? What
do you have to lose? Complacency; cherished sins; busy nothingnesses; and,
deep down, a lot of emptiness in your life. "If
we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessing
that we know we have,—the great mercy and love of God,—we should have
more faith and greater joy. No tongue can express, no finite mind can
conceive, the blessing that results from appreciating the goodness and
love of God. Even on earth we may have joy as a wellspring, never failing,
because fed by the streams that flow from the throne of God. "Then
let us educate our hearts and lips to speak the praise of God for His
matchless love. Let us educate our souls to be hopeful, and to abide in
the light shining from the cross of Calvary. Never should we forget that
we are children of the heavenly King, sons and daughters of the Lord of
hosts. It is our privilege to maintain a calm repose in God. "
'Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; . . and be ye thankful.'
Colossians 3:15. Forgetting our own difficulties and troubles, let us
praise God for an opportunity to live for the glory of His name. Let the
fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these
tokens of His loving care. When you open your eyes in the morning, thank
God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in
your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as a sweet perfume
ascend to heaven." Ministry of Healing 252-253 PrefaceThe
power of this concept first came to mind in the summer of 1962, when I
helped deliver my second child in a country farmhouse, and it strengthened
over the following several months. The extremely close relationship of the
infant to its mother seemed to match several passages in the Bible, which
compared God's people to children who could throw their whole weight of
burden upon the Lord. At the time, with no financial backing, I was
preparing to begin the Great Controversy radio broadcasts, and needed such
encouragement. It
was obvious that the concept involved a fabulous submission and closeness
to God. In both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, I found indication that
only a few of God's people seem to push in for the closer relationship
with their heavenly Father. Amid
the passing years and the many perplexities, which they brought, the
concept dimmed somewhat in my thinking, but strengthened in the early
1980s, as I began writing. As
my children grew up and gradually left my home, the experience continued
to deepen. All I had was God, and He was my wonderful Father in whom I
could trust. Surely,
I thought, this concept could be no secret; for it is clearly presented in
both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. Yet I rarely heard a mention of
it—either in sermons, books, or magazine articles. However, the test
of time had, in my own experience, proved the concept to be a most solid
one. One could, indeed, be as a little child with His heavenly Father! A
deeper relationship was possible! This was especially confirmed by the
fact that, over the years, I had found no other approach to God as sweet,
close, and strong. At
this crucial time in history, how much God's people need the strength,
which the closer relationship imparts, to boldly defend God and His Word
in an evil, scoffing world. The
general silence on the subject eventually caused me to think: Could it be
that I am like the two lepers outside the walls of Jerusalem, who, having
found a rich treasure, suddenly said, "We cannot keep this news to
ourselves; we must share it with others" (2 Kings 7:3-10) ! So
here it is. If you wish to save time, set this book aside; simply read
Matthew 18:2-4 and do it. The whole message is there. Why should there be
anything startling in the concept? The problem arises in entering the
experience and maintaining it. It is not done very often. Yet anything
God asks of us, in His enabling strength, can be done. The
smaller we acknowledge ourselves to be, in our relation to God, the more
fully we are likely to submit to His plan for our lives; and the more
willing we will be to study His Word, obey His Inspired directives, and
defend Him. Why?
Because this concept enables us to enter a fuller reality: We are as
nothing in the universe; He is everything. All we have and are is to be
given to Him. Yet this can only be realized as, in utter humility, we
fall before Him and accept and acknowledge the truth: We are His little
children. And
Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them.
And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. "Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest
in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-4 "If you call God your Father, you acknowledge yourselves His children, to be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life. As children of God, you will hold His honor, His character, His family, His work, as the objects of your highest interest. It will be your joy to recognize and honor your relation to your Father and to every member of His family." Mount of Blessings 105 |
