FOREWORD
WHERE CAN WE FIND A MORE DESCRIPTIVE
AND APPEALING PICTURE OF THE CHARACTER OF GOD AS SEEN THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
THAN THAT PAINTED BY ELLEN WHITE? HER INSPIRED PEN, DIPPED CONTINUALLY
IN THE BOTTOMLESS WELL OF THE LOVE OF GOD, PORTRAYS THE GOODNESS, KINDNESS,
AND INTEREST OF THE FAMILY OF HEAVEN IN US. AS WE READ THESE DESCRIPTIONS,
OUR HEARTS CANNOT HELP RESPONDING ENTHUSIASTICALLY TO OUR GOD WHO LOVES
US SO. WE FEEL CONSTRAINED TO ECHO THE MESSAGE SOUNDED FREQUENTLY BY ELLEN
WHITE: "LIFT UP JESUS, THE MAN OF CALVARY. LIFT HIM UP IN PRAYER, LIFT
HIM UP IN SONG." "LIFT HIM UP, THE MAN OF CALVARY, HIGHER AND STILL HIGHER,
AND LET YOUR MESSAGE BE, `BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE
SIN OF THE WORLD' " (MANUSCRIPT 27, 1891; LETTER 174, 1896).
IN THIS COLLECTION OF ELLEN
WHITE'S PEN PICTURES OF OUR LOVING SAVIOUR AND WHAT HE MEANS TO US, WE
ARE DRAWN TO HIM IN A SPECIAL WAY. YOU WILL WANT TO READ THESE DEVOTIONAL
READINGS THOUGHTFULLY, AND REVIEW THEM OFTEN, FIXING THEM FIRMLY IN THE
HALLS OF MEMORY.
ELLEN WHITE TELLS US IN THESE
PAGES THAT "IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR FINITE MINDS TO MAKE A JUST ESTIMATE OF
THE LOVE OF GOD TOWARD HIS FALLEN CREATURES. WE ARE EVER IN DANGER OF FORGETTING
THIS GREAT LOVE, BECAUSE WE FAIL TO MEDITATE UPON IT, AND ALLOW OURSELVES
TO BECOME ABSORBED IN THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD. . . . CHRIST SHOULD BE
THE THEME OF OUR THOUGHTS, THE OBJECT OF OUR TENDEREST AFFECTION. WE SHOULD
LET OUR MINDS DWELL UPON THE PRECIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR LORD; WE SHOULD
CONTEMPLATE THE RICH PROMISES OF HIS WORD; WE SHOULD MEDITATE UPON THE
GLORIES OF HEAVEN" (SIGNS OF THE TIMES, DEC. 8, 1890).
JESUS WAS BORN IN A MANGER THAT
WE MIGHT BE BORN TO LIFE ETERNAL. HE BECAME PART OF THE HUMAN FAMILY THAT
WE MIGHT BECOME PART OF THE HEAVENLY FAMILY. HE LIVED IN THE MIDST OF DUST
AND POVERTY THAT WE MIGHT LIVE AMID RICHES BEYOND DESCRIPTION. HE SPENT
LONG NIGHTS IN PRAYER THAT WE MIGHT SPEND ETERNAL AGES IN THE PRESENCE
OF GOD. HE WENT HOMELESS THAT WE MIGHT LIVE IN THE MANSIONS HE IS PREPARING
FOR US. OUR PRECIOUS SAVIOUR TROD WEARILY THE SANDY TRAILS OF OLD PALESTINE
THAT WE MIGHT WALK WITH TIRELESS FEET ON THE GOLDEN STREETS OF THE NEW
JERUSALEM. HE ACCEPTED IN OUR BEHALF THE CROWN OF THORNS THAT HE MIGHT
BE ABLE TO PLACE ON OUR HEADS THE CROWNS OF VICTORY. HE DIED THE DEATH
THAT WAS OURS THAT WE MIGHT LIVE FOREVER THE GLORIOUS LIFE THAT IS HIS.
THIS VOLUME IS THE FIFTEENTH
BOOK OF DAY-BY-DAY DEVOTIONAL READINGS TO BE PUBLISHED FROM THE PEN OF
ELLEN G. WHITE. IT IS A BOOK ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. IT EXALTS HIM AS OUR DIVINE
SAVIOUR AND REDEEMER, THE SOURCE OF OUR EVERY BLESSING, AND OUR ONLY HOPE.
THAT IT MAY LIFT UP CHRIST SO EFFECTIVELY THAT EVERY READER WILL HAVE A
CLOSER, MORE REWARDING, WALK WITH HIM IS THE EARNEST PRAYER OF
THE TRUSTEES OF THE ELLEN G.
WHITE ESTATE
WASHINGTON, D.C.