Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 42:11.
Are you standing on the side of the world, or on the side of Christ? Of what value would the whole world be to me, with all the gold and the silver that could be heaped together? Of what value would it be to you? My span of life is nearly ended. Many, many of my early associates are now in the grave. All that remains of our once large family is one of my sisters—and she is feeble. God has given me strength. He is the health of my countenance. Every morning I rejoice in Him. I know I have committed the keeping of my soul to Him, as unto a faithful Creator; and I know He has never failed me. If you place your trust in Him, the Lord will also give to every one of you His strength, His grace, His salvation.
When someone asks you how you are feeling, do not complain and murmur and try to think of something mournful to tell them to gain their sympathy; but grasp them by the hand, saying, “Praise God! God is the Lord, and greatly to be praised! I love Him, because He first loved me.” Let your conversation be cheerful and hopeful. Do not talk discouragingly, telling your lack of faith and your sorrows and sufferings, for the devil delights to hear such words. When talking on gloomy subjects, you are glorifying the enemy. Talk faith and hope and courage, thus glorifying God.
Instead of gossiping, thus creating mischief, let us tell of the matchless power of Christ, and speak of His glory, thus magnifying and lifting up the Lord God of hosts and training ourselves to sing the song of victory in the kingdom of glory. By beginning to sing songs of triumph and thanksgiving now, we may prepare ourselves to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb when we meet on the sea of glass.
The Lord will be with us during this life, if we allow ourselves to be led by His Spirit and do not neglect to glorify His name. We should bring as much of heaven as possible into this life. The light of heaven shining into the heart will be imparted in words of pleasantness, in deeds of kindness, to those who are near us. Having acquainted ourselves with God, when He comes we will be able to say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us” (Isaiah 25:9).—Manuscript 111, October 19, 1901, a sermon preached in the St. Helena Sanitarium chapel.
Reference: E.G. White, "The Upward Look," p. 306.
