And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. John 17:3.
If we will come into close relation with God, if we will yield to God His own—our mind, our heart, and all that there is of us—we will indeed find peace and happiness that we can obtain nowhere else.
What does it amount to to live in this world dependent upon the applause and amusements that we can find here? Do these bring us happiness? No; they bring us only unrest and dissatisfaction, and at the same time we are losing the most precious treasure, the richest blessings that God can bestow upon us. We need to understand much more than we do the worth of our souls. We need to know what we shall do that we may work the works of God. “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29). He can be to us all that we desire.
Jesus proclaimed on the last great day of the feast, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (chap. 7:37); and again we hear Him saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Have you tried it? There are many who have, and they know that the words of Christ are verity and truth, and that when trouble has come in like a flood, they have looked to Jesus and have been comforted and strengthened.
Christ has promised that if we yoke up with Him we shall find peace and comfort and hope, and we [shall] know by experience [that] His words are true. He wants everyone to be saved. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16, 17)....
Jesus Christ knew that humanity had not power in itself to resist the temptations of the enemy of souls, and therefore He clothed His divinity with humanity, left His royal throne and high command, and came to this world all seared and marred with the curse, and humiliated Himself, in order to set us an example.... He came to this world, not to attend horse races, not to attend the theater, but He came meek and lowly, and He invites us to learn of Him, the King of glory. By doing this we shall obtain the moral power He left the courts of heaven to bestow upon us.—Manuscript 16, October 20, 1895, untitled manuscript, apparently a sermon preached at the Armadale Campground, Australia.
From The Upward Look - Page 307
The Upward Look