Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! Psalm 144:3.
The Lord has a place for every man and every woman, whether young, middle-aged, or old. When men and women find their place, there will be a work done for the Lord that has not yet been done. Great weakness has come upon the people of God because... [some] have left the Lord Jesus, because they have lost out of their lives His Spirit, His love, His rich grace. They have lifted up their souls unto vanity, and have planned in human wisdom, supposing human talent to be their strength. Thus they bring upon themselves weakness and perplexity. In their dependence on humanity, they forget that men and women are finite, erring, naturally selfish, and that their planning is sure to be mingled with dross.
The most gifted of human beings, men and women of the broadest minds and deepest comprehension, those most highly cultured and most highly educated, those who stand in the world as rulers, are infants in comparison with God in their understanding of the things of eternity. And because they have so limited knowledge of Him, because they know so little of His ways, His mind, His character, they are in danger of making themselves gods...
Those who are not conscious of God’s greatness, His omnipotence, will intrude themselves as great and wise, but they are mere nothingness. In God’s sight they are as little children, that cannot walk alone, yet they feel fully competent to handle the greatest problems. They suppose that if they can unite and consolidate their talents, they will make a grand success. But the greater the number united, the greater will be the failure unless they seek to know and understand God. It is not numbers combined in unions that brings man into harmony with heaven.
There are many, very many, who, inexperienced and unreasoning, suppose themselves wise enough to do anything they may wish to do. With God, their wisdom is foolishness. They need to remember that they are only children in wisdom, and that before they can know themselves, they must learn of God.
God is our Father, and He will teach all who come to Him, realizing that their human wisdom is foolishness. As they take hold of His strength, and make peace with Him, living by His Word, He will unite His strength with their weakness, His knowledge with their ignorance, making them strong in Him. He will give them the care adapted to their necessities. Those who trust in Him as their Teacher will not stumble or fall.—Manuscript 88, June 18, 1902, “A Worldwide Work.”
Reference: E.G. White, "The Upward Look," p. 183.