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38 - The Desire of Ages - Ellen Gould · Sacred Texts Archive

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  Come rest awhile. On returning from their missionary tour, the apostles gathered themselves
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  together unto Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and
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  what they had taught. And he said, unto them, come ye yourselves
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  apart into a desert place, and rest awhile, for there were many coming
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  and going, and they had no leisures so much as to eat. The
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  disciples came to Jesus and told him all things. Their intimate relationship with him
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  encouraged them to lay before him their favorable and unfavorable experiences, their joy at
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  seeing results from their labors, and their sorrow at their failures, their faults,
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  and their weaknesses. They had committed errors in their first work as evangelists,
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  and as they frankly told Christ of their experiences, he saw that they
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  needed much instruction. He saw too that they had become weary in their labors,
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  and that they needed to rest. But where they then were, they
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  could not obtain the needed privacy, for there were many coming and going,
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  and they had no leisure so much as to eat. The people were thronging
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  after Christ, anxious to be healed and eager to listen to his words,
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  many felt drawn to him, for he seemed to them to be the fountain
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  of all blessings. Many of those who then thronged about Christ to receive the
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  precious boon of health accepted him as their savior. Many others, afraid then
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  to confess him because of the Pharisees, were converted at the descent of the
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  Holy Spirit, and before the angry priests and rulers acknowledged him as the son
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  of God. But now Christ longed for retirement that he might be with his
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  disciples, for he had much to say to them in their work. They
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  had passed through the test of conflict and had encountered opposition in various forms.
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  Hitherto they had consulted Christ in everything, but for some time they had been
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  alone, and at times they had been much troubled to know what to do.
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  They had found much encouragement in their work, for Christ did not send
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  them away without a spirit, and by faith in him they worked many miracles.
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  But they needed now to feed on the bread of life. They needed
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  to go to a place of retirement where they could hold commune union with Jesus
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  and receive instruction for future work. And he said unto them. Come ye
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  yourselves apart into a desert place and rest Awhile Christ is full of tenderness and
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  compassion for all in his service. He would show his disciples that God does
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  not require sacrifice but mercy. They had been putting their whole souls into labor
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  for the people, and this was exhausting their physical and mental strength. It
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  was their duty to rest. As the disciples had seen the success of their
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  labors, they were in danger of taking credit to themselves, in danger of
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  cherishing spiritual pride and thus falling under Satan's temptations. A great work was before
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  them, and first of all they must learn that their strength was not in
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  self but in God. Like Moses in the wilderness of Sinee, like David
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  among the hills of Judah, or Elijah by the brook Cherith, the disciples
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  needed to come apart from the scenes of their busy activity to commune with Christ,
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  with nature, and with their own hearts. While the disciples had been
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  absent on their missionary tour, Jesus had visited other towns and villages preaching the
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  Gospel of the Kingdom. It was about this time that he received tidings of
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  the Baptist's death. This event brought vividly before him the end to which his
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  own steps were tending. The shadows were gathering thickly about his path. Priests
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  and rabbis were watching to compass his death, Spies hung upon his steps,
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  and on every hand plots for his ruin were multiplying. News of the preaching
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  of the apostles throughout Galilee reached Herod, calling his attention to Jesus and his
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  work. This is John the Baptist. He said, he has risen from
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  the dead, and he expressed the desire to see Jesus. Herod was in
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  constant fear lest a revolution might be secretly carried forward with the object of unseating
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  him from the throne and breaking the Roman yoke from the Jewish nation. Among
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  the people, the spirit of discontent and insurrection was rife. It was evident
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  that Christ's public labors in Galilee could not be long continued. The scenes of
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  his suffering were drawing, and he longed to be apart for a season from
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  the confusion of the multitude. With saddened hearts. The disciples of John had
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  borne his mutilated body to its burial. Then they went and told Jesus.
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  These disciples had been envious of Christ when he seemed to be drawing the people
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  away from John. They had sided with the Pharisees in accusing him when he
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  set with the publicans at Matthew's feast. They had doubted his divine mission because
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  he did not set the Baptist at liberty. But now that the teacher was
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  dead, and they longed for consolation and their great sorrow, and for guidance
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  as to their future work, they came to Jesus and united their interest with
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  his. They too, needed a season of quiet for communion with the Savior.
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  Near Beseta, at the northern end of the lake, was a lonely
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  region, now beautiful with fresh green a spring that offered a welcome retreat to
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  Jesus and his disciples. For this place they set out, going in their
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  boat across the water. Here they would be away from the thoroughfares of travel
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  and the bustle and agitation of the city. The scenes of nature were in
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  themselves a rest, a change grateful to the senses. Here they could listen
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  to the words of Christ without hearing the angry interruptions, the retorts and accusations
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  of the scribes and pharisees. Here they could enjoy a short season of precious
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  fellowship in the society of their Lord. The rest which Christ and his disciples
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  took was not self indulgent rest. The time they spent in retirement was not
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  devoted to pleasure seeking. They talked together regarding the work of God and the
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  possibility of bringing greater efficiency to the work. The disciples had been with Christ
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  and could understand him. To them, he need not talk in parables.
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  He corrected their errors and made plain to them the right way of approaching the
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  people. He opened more fully to them the precious treasurer of divine truth.
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  They were vitalized by divine power and inspired with hope and courage. Though Jesus
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  could work miracles and had empowered his disciples to work miracles, he directed his
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  willeign servants to go apart into the country and rest. When he said that
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  the harvest was great and the laborers were few, he did not urge upon
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  his disciples the necessity of ceaseless toil, but said, pray ye therefore the
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  Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.
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  Matthew nine thirty eight God is appointed to every man his work according to his
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  ability Ephesians four eleven thirteen. And he would not have a few weighted with
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  responsibilities, while others have no burden, no travail of soul. Christ's words
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  of compassion are spoken to his workers to day, just as surely as they
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  were spoken to his disciples. Come ye yourselves apart and rest Awhile he says
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  to those who are worn and weary. It is not wise to be always
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  under the strain of work and excitement, even in ministering to men's spiritual needs.
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  For in this way, personal piety is neglected, and the powers of
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  mind and soul and body are over taxed. Self denial is required of the
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  disciple of Christ, and sacrifices must be made. But care must also be
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  exercised, lest through their over zeal, Satan take advantage of the weaknesses of
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  humanity, and the work of God be marred. In the estimation of the
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  Rabbis, it was the sum of religion to be always in a bustle of
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  activity. They depended upon some outward performance to show their superior piety. Thus
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  they separated their souls from God and built themselves up in self sufficiency. The
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  same dangers still exist. As activity increases and men become successful in doing any
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  work for God. There is danger of trusting to human plans and methods.
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  There is a tendency to pray less and to have less faith. Like the
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  Disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God and
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  seeking to make a savior of our activity. We need to look constantly to
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  Jesus, realizing that it is his power which does the work. While we
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  are to labor earnestly for the salvation of the loss, we must also take
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  time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of the Word of
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  God. Only the work accomplished with much prayer and sanctified by the merit of
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  Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good. No
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  other life was ever so crowded with labor and responsibility as was that of Jesus.
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  Yet how often he was found in prayer, how constant was his communion
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  with God. Again and again In the history of his earthly life are found
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  records such as thease rising up a great while before day, he went out
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  and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed great multitudes came together to
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  hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. And he withdrew himself
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  into the wilderness and prayed. And it came to pass in those days that
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  he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer
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  to God, Mark one thirty five, Luke five fifteen sixteen six twelve.
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  In a life wholly devoted to the good of others, the Savior found it
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  necessary to withdraw from the thorough affairs of travel and from the throng that followed
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  him day after day. He must turn aside from a life of ceaseless activity
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  and contact with human needs, to seek retirement and unbroken communion with his Father
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  as one with us, a sharer in our needs and weaknesses. He was
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  wholly depended upon God, and in the secret place of prayer he sought divine
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  strength that he might go forth, braced for duty and trial. In a
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  world of sin, Jesus endured struggles and torture of soul. In communion with
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  God, he could unburden the sorrows that were crushing him. Here he found
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  comfort and joy in Christ. The cry of humanity reached the Father of infinite
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  pity As a man, he supplicated the throne of God till his humanity was
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  charged with a heavenly current that should connect humanity with divinity through continual communion.
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  He received life from God that he might impart life to the world. His
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  experience is to be ours come years apart. He bids us, if we
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  would give heed to his word, we should be stronger and more useful.
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  The disciples sought Jesus and told him all things, and he encouraged and instructed
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  them. If to day we would take time to go to Jesus and tell
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  him our needs, we should not be disappointed. He would be at our
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  right hand to help us. We need more simplicity, more trust and confidence
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  in our savior. He whose name is called the Mighty God, the Everlasting
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  Father, the Prince of Peace. He of whom it is written the government
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  shall be upon his shoulder, is the wonderful counselor. We are invited to
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  ask wisdom of him. He giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not ISAA
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  nine six James one five. In all who are under the training of God
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  is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world,
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  its customs or its practices, and everyone needs to have a personal experience.
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  In obtaining a knowledge to the will of God, we must individually hear Him
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  speaking to the heart when every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we
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  wait before him. The silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of
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  God. He bids us be still and know that I am God Psalms.
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  Forty six ten. Here alone can true rest be found. And this is
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  the effectual preparation for all who labor for God amid the hurrying, throng and
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  the strain of life's intense activities. The soul that is thus refreshed will be
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  surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. The life will breathe out fragrance
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  and will reveal a divine power that will reach men's hearts. Into Chapter thirty eight