Article April 18, 1903 Issue

Perseverance

C. A.

Israel's journey through the wilderness teaches numerous lessons to those who are beginning their journey out of materiality. One sees plainly how unnecessarily long and weary they made their journey by their discontent, impatience, idolatry, and lack of faith in God. They were willing to leave Egypt because of their misery there, but then they expected to be brought straight into the promised land without in any way fitting themselves for it, not understanding that in their state of consciousness harmony was impossible for them, and that they needs must be purified and thus made ready to receive the fulfilment of the promised blessings.

How many of us to-day are willing to leave our misery, sin, and sickness behind us, just because it is misery, and expect, because of this willingness, to be lifted at once above our troubles, not seeing that we are doing just as the children of Israel did in their day, prolonging our journey by impatience, discontent, selfishness, and lack of faith.

There is a seeming wilderness for each one of us to go through while we are breaking the bands of selfishness and reversing our false beliefs concerning God and man; and we can go through this wilderness either as Moses did, overcoming and forgetting self, and cheering and urging others on, or as the children of Israel, discontented, selfish, lazy, and impatient. The promise is to him that overcometh, he shall inherit all things. Let us remember that the clouds are his chariots. The trials and temptations that sometimes seem hard may be mastered so that they shall draw us nearer to God "who is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

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