14 (2 Corinthians 8:12). Light for Those Who Are Willing—God′s Spirit can only enlighten the understanding of those who are willing to be enlightened. We read that God opened the ears of Lydia, so that she attended to the message spoken by Paul. To declare the whole counsel of God and all that was essential for Lydia to receive—this was the part Paul was to act in her conversion; and then the God of all grace exercised His power, leading the soul in the right way. God and the human agent cooperated, and the work was wholly successful (Letter 150, 1900).
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28 (John 5:17; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; see EGW comment on Genesis 2:7). God Constantly at Work in Nature—God is perpetually at work in nature. She is His servant, directed as He pleases. Nature in her work testifies of the intelligent presence and active agency of a Being who moves in all His works according to His will. It is not by an original power inherent in nature that year by year the earth produces its bounties and the world keeps up its continual march around the sun. The hand of infinite power is perpetually at work guiding this planet. It is God′s power momentarily exercised that keeps it in position in its rotations. The God of heaven is constantly at work. It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears and every flower blooms. It is not as the result of a mechanism, that, once set in motion, continues its work, that the pulse beats and breath follows breath. In God we live and move and have our being. Every breath, every throb of the heart, is the continual evidence of the power of an ever-present God. It is God that maketh the sun to rise in the heavens. He openeth the windows of heaven and giveth rain. He maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains. “He giveth snow like wool: and scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.”Psalm 147:16. “When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, ... he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.”Jeremiah 51:16, 17. Although the Lord has ceased His work in creating, He is constantly employed in upholding and using as His servants the things which He has made. Said Christ, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work”(John 5:17) (Manuscript 4, 1882).
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34 (1 Corinthians 2:1-4). Simplicity of the Gospel vs. Learning of the World—At the close of his labors he [Paul] looked for the results of his work. Out of the large assembly that had listened to his eloquent words, only three had been converted to the faith. He then decided that from that time he would maintain the simplicity of the gospel. He was convinced that the learning of the world was powerless to move the hearts of men, but that the gospel was the power of God to salvation (The Review and Herald, August 3, 1911).
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1-3 (2 Corinthians 10:1, 7, 8; see EGW comment on Acts 20:17-35). The Apostles Counseled Over Methods of Labor—When Paul came to Corinth, he solicited work from Aquila. The apostles counseled and prayed together, and decided that they would preach the gospel as it should be preached, in disinterested love for the souls who were perishing for lack of knowledge. Paul would work at tentmaking, and teach his fellow laborers to work with their hands, so that in any emergency they could support themselves. Some of his ministering brethren presented such a course as inconsistent, saying that “by so doing they would lose their influence as ministers of the gospel.”The tenth chapter of Second Corinthians records the difficulties Paul had to contend with, and his vindication of his course. God had placed special honor upon Paul. He had given him his credentials, and had laid upon him weighty responsibility. And the apostle writes, “I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you,”2 Corinthians 10:1. —because he humbled himself to do mechanical work—“but being absent am bold toward you” [2 Corinthians 10:7, 8 quoted] (RH March 6, 1900).
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(Acts 20:33, 34; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8.) Paul Resorted to His Trade—Paul ... abode with them [Aquila and Priscilla]; and having in his youth learned their trade of making tents, which were much used in that warm climate, he worked at this business for his own support....
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