He [God] wants us to see the natural beauty in our world. He wants us to see this, and to educate our children to see that these are an expression of God's love to man. Here is a voice speaking to you parents to soften and subdue your hearts. Keep ever before you the One that made heaven and earth, that clad the world with its green velvet carpet, that has given us the lofty trees and clad them in their green foliage. But instead of talking of the praise of the God that made all these, humanity talks of the things of human manufacture, and they think of their houses that are so beautiful and their dresses that are so richly adorned. All this takes time and money, and that means souls. God has given us money that we may expend it to His glory. Oh, if the curtain could be rolled back: if we could only get a sight of the love of God that passeth knowledge. I scarcely dare to touch it; I scarcely dare to mention the glory that is in reserve. For whom? Every soul that has been tested and tried and that has an eye single to the glory of God, that will be loyal to the truth of heaven. The world's honor, the world's glory, and the world's applause are not worth anything to us.
Every soul that believes in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, what then? Then the love flows from the heart of God to his heart. What does that heart do then? It turns to serve God and keep His commandments lest it will be found as Adam and Eve were after their transgression. We cannot afford that. We cannot afford to sin. Sin is an expensive business. . . .
We want to enter the gates of the eternal city. When the pearly gates are thrown back we want to hear the voice of welcome. We want to have the crown of immortal glory placed upon our brow. We want that robe that is woven in the loom of heaven, white as no fuller on earth can white it; we want to see the King in His beauty and behold His matchless charms. . . . I beg of you to lay up your treasures in heaven. Rid yourself of everything that will so confuse your mind that you will not be able to distinguish between the sacred and the common.-- Manuscript 20, March 18, 1894, "Our Father's Care for His Children." TDG 86
Many are losing the right way, in consequence of thinking that they must climb to heaven, that they must do something to merit the favor of God. They seek to make themselves better by their own unaided efforts. Hvn 11
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21 (King James Version)