Put Your Trust in God

No one has so many enemies as a child of God. No one is so hated as the follower of Christ. ” Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Tim. 3:12. The greatest persecutors of God” s people have been the false brethren in the church. The leader of God” s people hunted David like a wild beast. The prophets were persecuted and killed by the people of Israel. Jesus was hated and crucified by the leaders of His own church.

” And one shall say unto Him, what are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends.” Zech. 13:6. Yet Jesus loved his church. He wept when He saw their unbelief and hatred towards Him. He said, ” O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!” Matt. 23:37.

Has God at times lost the control of His church? Has Satan taken over the little flock of Jesus? No, certainly not, but the Lord permits these things to happen for a purpose. Jesus said, ” It must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.” Matt. 18:7. Jesus also said, ” The brother shall deliver up the brother to death.” Matt. 10:21. This kind of hatred we can expect more of in the last days than ever before.

Sister White wrote, ” We should be the last people on the earth to indulge in the slightest degree the spirit of persecution against those who are bearing the message of God to the world. This is the most terrible feature of unchristlikeness that has manifested itself among us since the Minneapolis meeting. Sometime it will be seen in its true bearing, with all the burden of woe that has resulted from it.” G.C.B., 1893, p. 184.

Sister White was not fully accepted by the leaders until after her death. Often she was not permitted to speak to the people because the leaders hated her message. ” Our whole interest and life have been interwoven with the rise and progress of the third angel” s message. We are bound up in it, and when it does not prosper, we experience great suffering of mind.

” About this time, my husband, as he reviewed the past, began to lose confidence in almost everyone. Many of those whom he had tried to befriend had acted the part of enemies, and some whom he had helped the most by his influence and from his own scanty purse, were continually trying to injure him and cast burdens upon him. One Sabbath morning, as he was going to our place of worship, such an overpowering sense of injustice came over him that he turned aside and wept aloud, while the congregation waited for him.

” From the commencement of our labours we have been called to bear a plain, pointed testimony, to reprove wrongs and spare not. And all the way there have been those who have stood in opposition to our testimony, and have followed after to speak smooth things, daub with untempered mortar, and destroy the influence of our labours. The Lord would rein us up to bear reproof, and then individuals would step right in between us and the people to make our testimony of no effect. Many visions have been given to the effect that we must not shun to declare the counsel of the Lord, but must occupy a position to stir up the people of God, for they are asleep in their sins. But few have sympathized with us, while many have sympathized with the wrong and with those who have been reproved. These things crushed us, and we felt that we had no testimony to bear in the church. We knew not in whom to confide. As all these things forced themselves upon us, hope died within us. We retired to rest about midnight, but I could not sleep. A severe pain was in my heart; I could find no relief and fainted a number of times.” Test. Vol. 1, p. 247.

Sister White said that only few have sympathized with her and her husband, while the false brethren criticized and condemned them. Brethren who had no love for souls, did not care if they stayed or left the church. The false brethren have love for power; they want to control the church and use favoritism and manipulation to gain their desire.

For 6000 years this kind of persecution has continued. Sister White writes that Satan brings into the church of God members who will cause disturbance and discouragement in the faithful members, and we cannot avoid it from happening. It is part of the fire that is to purify us and prepare us for heaven. It is a part of God” s method to rebuke and chasten the faithful ones. All who are weak in the faith will be offended and leave the church of God. ” Many a star that we have admired for its brightness will then go out in darkness.” Test. Vol. 5, p.81.

Since this persecution is part of a Christian” s life, we must learn to face it and to live with it. The first lesson to learn is not to trust a man, not even the leaders. ” Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.” Jer. 17:5.

” Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother.” Jer. 9:4.
” Put not trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” Ps. 146:3.
The Bible is clear that our best friend can deceive us. Our closest brother can betray us. Then in whom can we trust? The Bible is clear on this question also. ” O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee.” Ps. 84:12. ” Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.” Prov. 16:20.
” It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” Ps. 118:8, 9.

” Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Prov. 29:25.
” They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.” Ps. 125:1.

To further illustrate this, a vision was shown to Sister White. ” I was shown a cluster of trees, standing near together, forming a circle. Running up over these trees was a vine which covered them at the top, and rested upon them, forming an arbor. Soon I saw the trees swaying to and fro, as though moved by a powerful wind. One branch after another of the vine was shaken loose from the trees, except a few tendrils which were left clinging to the lower branches. A person then came up and severed the remaining clinging tendrils of the vine, and it lay prostrated upon the earth.

” Many passed and looked pityingly upon it, and I waited anxiously for a friendly hand to raise it; but no help was offered. I inquired why no hand raised the vine. Presently I saw an angel come to the apparently deserted vine. He spread out his arms and placed them beneath the vine, and raised it so that it stood upright, saying: ” Stand toward heaven, and let thy tendrils entwine about God. Thou art shaken from human support. Thou canst stand, in the strength of God, and flourish without it. Lean upon God alone, and thou shalt never lean in vain, or be shaken therefrom.”

As I saw the neglected vine cared for, I felt inexpressible relief, amounting to joy. I turned to the angel and inquired what these things meant. Said he: ” Thou art this vine. All this thou wilt experience, and then, when these things occur, thou shalt fully understand the figure of the vine. God will be to thee a present help in time of trouble.” LS 176.

Paul was persecuted from outside and inside. Some of the brethren never forgave him that he had once persecuted the church. But he learned to live with it. ” For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 2 Cor. 1:5. ” As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” 2 Cor. 6:10.

” Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Cor. 12:10.

The greatest sufferer of all was Jesus. Even His own disciples abandoned Him at the moment when He was suffering the most. But He did have a comfort, He said, ” Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” John 16:32. The Lord will never forsake us even though our friends and brethren may leave us alone.

The time is nearing when all the false brethren will be shaken out. The church will be purified. Yet for a while we need the patience of Job, and endure the trials of our faith. The Comforter which Jesus promised to give us will carry us through every trial and offence, and instead of losing our faith, it will grow stronger, so that we may remain faithful even unto death.

May the Lord help each one of us to depend more and more on the Lord and seek His help daily, and trust man less and less. The Lord is a mighty helper in the time of need.
AMEN.