Written by: John Sernaque
Stewardship
CS - Counsels on Stewardship (1940) Chapter 8— Wait Not for Appeals
The temptation may come to you to invest your money in land. Perhaps your friends will advise you to do this. But is there not a better way of investing your means? Have you not been bought with a price? Has not your money been entrusted to you to be traded upon for Him? Can you not see that He wants you to use your means in helping to build meeting- houses, in helping to establish sanitariums, where the sick shall receive physical and spiritual healing, and in helping to start schools, in which the youth shall be trained for service, that workers may be sent to all parts of the world? {CS 45.1}
God Himself originates the plans for the advancement of His work, and He has provided His people with a surplus of means, that when He calls for help, they may cheerfully respond. If they will be faithful in bringing to His treasury the means lent them, His work will make rapid advancement. Many souls will be won to the truth, and the day of Christ’s coming will be hastened.—The Review and Herald, July 14, 1904. {CS 45.2}
Moving to the country in and of itself will not save you, plain and simple. If it makes sense and you have the financial and physical wherewithal to be in the country, than go. However, if your country property exhausts all the means, which God has entrusted to you, and you forego following God’s plans for the advancement of His work, you will not be able to respond when God calls for help. As a co-laborer with God, you will be hindering the work instead of advancing it. We are to respond cheerfully, step out in faith, and we will receive the blessings that God has in store for us. As we win souls to the truth, let us pray that we will help quicken the day of Christ’s coming.
Our kind and gracious Father,
We come to the foot of Your throne in thanksgiving and praise. We thank You in providing for all of our needs in abundance. We pray that we will all cheerfully respond to Your call for help, putting aside any selfishness that prevents us from doing so. We pray that You will bless us with the means for the advancement of Your work, and if it is Your will, that we may have enough to invest in a country home for our families and us. It is our prayer that we may win souls to the truth and that it will hasten Your second coming. Please help us prepare and be ready for Your coming, that we may be saved. Please forgive us of our sins, and it is in Your name Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
