"Chapter 14—Struggles with Poverty At Gorham, Maine, August 26, 1847, our eldest son, Henry Nichols White, was born. In October Brother and Sister Howland, of Topsham, kindly offered us a part of their dwelling, which we gladly accepted, and commenced housekeeping with borrowed furniture. We were poor, and saw close times. We had resolved not to be dependent, but to support ourselves, and have something with which to help others. But we were not prospered. My husband worked very hard hauling stone on the railroad, but could not get what was due him for his labor. Brother and Sister Howland freely divided with us whatever they could; but they also were in close circumstances. They fully believed the first and second messages, and had generously imparted of their substance to forward the work, until they were dependent on their daily labor. LS 105"
"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."
Both passages address contentment in times of need. Paul's statement about being content whether abased or abounding resonates with the White's experience of poverty and their resolve to trust in God.
My husband stopped hauling stone, and with his ax went into the woods to chop cordwood. With a continual pain in his side, he worked from early morning till dark to earn about fifty cents a day. We endeavored to keep up good courage, and trust in the Lord. I did not murmur. In the morning I felt grateful to God that He had preserved us through another night, and at night I was thankful that He had kept us through another day. LS 105.2 One day when our provisions were gone, my husband went to his employer to get money or provisions. It was a stormy day, and he walked three miles and back in the rain. He brought home on his back a bag of provisions tied in different compartments, having in this manner passed through the village of Brunswick, where he had often lectured. As he entered the house, very weary, my heart sank within me. My first feelings were that God had forsaken us. I said to my husband: “Have we come to this? Has the Lord left us?” I could not restrain my tears, and wept al…
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
The EGW passage describes a situation of hardship, but also mentions gratitude for God's preservation. This directly reflects the principle of giving thanks in all circumstances, as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."
The EGW passage describes hard labor and a sense of abandonment. Psalm 127:1 speaks to the futility of labor without God's blessing. While not a direct quote or allusion, the thematic parallel is present.