Editorial September 24, 1910 Issue

WAITING ON GOD

Annie M. Knott

There are thousands who have listened to the beautiful aria, "O rest in the Lord," and who have felt at least momentarily that it is good to "wait patiently" for God, who have never thought of applying this profound truth to every difficult experience of daily life. There is indeed nothing more trying to our human sense than to wait for results, yet this is an inseparable accompaniment of our best efforts, and the greater the thing desired the longer the period sometimes required for its full development. St. James reminds us that the husbandman waits for "the precious fruit of the earth," and this means that he must wait in many cases a long time ere the tree be grown, but he has "long patience for it" because he knows that when the planting and the watering are done aright God will give the increase.

In Christian Science we learn that there are no delays on the divine side, that God does not withhold from us any good thing, and of this we have many assurances in the Scriptures; but we also learn that too often we are unready to receive the blessing which is ready for us. It therefore follows that there are what appear to be long delays, and this often because mortals are unwilling to see what it is that hinders their progress, and like fretful children they merely cry out against the seemingly hard conditions instead of heeding the admonition, "Rise in the strength of Spirit to resist all that is unlike God" (Science and Health, p. 393). If the desire is for righteousness at any cost, this will bring strength to endure unto the end of the trial, and Truth understood will destroy all sense of pain and weakness. It should not be supposed that the overcoming of disease is a long or uncertain process in Christian Science, which teaches distinctly that neither disease nor sin has any place in man's true consciousness, and the overcoming of the belief in evil leaves thought free to work out all the problems of human experience. Here we may well apply to ourselves the tremendous test given in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 118) of being "willing to suffer patiently for error until all error is destroyed." One who is willing to do this will with St. Paul "rejoice in tribulation," and grow stronger at each step of the way.

The psalmist tells us in the 40th Psalm that he "waited patiently" for God, and that he was lifted out of "an horrible pit" and his feet set upon a rock; then he goes on: "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." This result was surely well worth waiting for! Paul tells us that even those who have the firstfruits of the Spirit groan within themselves while waiting for the redemption of the body, and he at the same time speaks of our waiting for "the manifestation of the sons of God." When the sons of God are fully manifested there will be no vexed problems to adjust and no sickness to heal, but there will be "painless progress, attended by life and peace,"—to quote our revered Leader's words (Science and Health, p. 224). While we are working toward this divine consummation, we should remember that patient waiting is a great virtue. Not only do we need moral and spiritual purification for ourselves, but others need to be saved as well as we, and we should be glad to wait if thereby the working together of all things "for good" be made more inclusive.

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