"We should strive to understand the weakness of others. We know little of the heart trials of those who have been bound in chains of darkness and who lack resolution and moral power. Most pitiable is the condition of him who is suffering under remorse; he is as one stunned, staggering, sinking into the dust. He can see nothing clearly. The mind is beclouded, he knows not what steps to take. Many a poor soul is misunderstood, unappreciated, full of distress and agony—a lost, straying sheep. He cannot find God, yet he has an intense longing for pardon and peace. MH 168.1"
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?"
Both passages deal with the concept of seeking out and caring for those who are lost or struggling. EGW describes the state of someone suffering from remorse, while Luke 15:4 uses the parable of the lost sheep to illustrate God's concern for the lost.
"Oh, let no word be spoken to cause deeper pain! To the soul weary of a life of sin, but knowing not where to find relief, present the compassionate Saviour. Take him by the hand, lift him up, speak to him words of courage and hope. Help him to grasp the hand of the Saviour. MH 168.2"
"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees."
Both passages focus on strengthening and encouraging those who are weak or weary. Isaiah 35:3 speaks of strengthening weak hands and feeble knees, while EGW encourages offering compassion and hope to those weary of sin.
"We become too easily discouraged over the souls who do not at once respond to our efforts. Never should we cease to labor for a soul while there is one gleam of hope. Precious souls cost our self-sacrificing Redeemer too dear a price to be lightly given up to the tempter's power. MH 168.3"
"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."
Both passages highlight the immense value of souls and the sacrifice made for their redemption. EGW emphasizes the need to persevere in efforts to save souls, while 1 Corinthians 6:20 reminds us that we were bought with a price.
"We need to put ourselves in the place of the tempted ones. Consider the power of heredity, the influence of evil associations and surroundings, the power of wrong habits. Can we wonder that under such influences many become degraded? Can we wonder that they should be slow to respond to efforts for their uplifting? MH 168.4"
"For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I."
Both passages touch on the struggle against sin and the influence of external factors. EGW emphasizes the impact of heredity, environment, and habits, while Romans 7:15 describes the internal conflict between what one wants to do and what one actually does.
"Often, when won to the gospel, those who appeared coarse and unpromising will be among its most loyal adherents and advocates. They are not altogether corrupt. Beneath the forbidding exterior there are good impulses that might be reached. Without a helping hand many would never recover themselves, but by patient, persistent effort they may be uplifted. Such need tender words, kind consideration, tangible help. They need that kind of counsel which will not extinguish the faint gleam of courage in the soul. Let the workers who come in contact with them consider this. MH 168.5"
"But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Both passages emphasize God's mercy towards sinners and the importance of reaching out to those who are considered outcasts or unpromising. EGW's passage expands on the practical application of this principle, echoing the sentiment of Matthew 9:13.