One of the most wonderful and most comforting experiences which comes to a student when the light of Truth as taught in Christian Science dawns upon his consciousness, is the conviction of the protection which God constantly gives to His children. And then, as one works under this knowledge for a time, there comes the further discovery that in order to gain the full benefit of this protection one must give up self-will. As a part of our religious practice we used to pray, "Thy will be done;" but while we prayed we had many misgivings as to the consequences if God's will should really be done! We generally wanted to know just how God intended to do His will; and usually, in order that it should be done in the way which we considered right, we took a very active hand in all the operations! Then, later, there comes a time in the experience of every Christian Scientist when he learns that the only true protection is in knowing that the only right way for each and every problem to be worked out is that way which is in accordance with God's will; and rather than fear that the will of God will be accomplished, he knows that he must be constantly alert that he does not project his own will into the problem, and thus temporarily delay the operation of God's will.

One of the ways whereby we can clearly see and do the will of God is by cultivating spiritual sense. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says (pp. 209, 210): "Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to understand God. It shows the superiority of faith by works over faith in words. Its ideas are expressed only in 'new tongues;' and these are interpreted by the translation of the spiritual original into the language which human thought can comprehend." In a much-loved hymn are the lines:

From how many dangers, both known and unknown, we would be saved if we would only know all the time that spiritual sense, by keeping self-will out of the way, will "keep us from our own undoing," as another line of the same hymn runs. But instead, self-will intrudes itself, and we have often to try several roads before we can have the assurance that we are on the right one.

In the book of Nehemiah there is a wonderful account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. It illustrates the protection which is ever present when spiritual sense is attuned to understand the language of God, as compared with the dangers and pitfalls encountered when we depend on human understanding and are led by ambition, self-will, self-justification, or any other of the evil beliefs of mortal mind.

The story tells us that certain Jews came to Shushan, where Nehemiah, who held the high office of cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, resided. These men gave Nehemiah a very moving account of the state of the Jews living at Jerusalem; whereupon he immediately saw the possibility of going to Jerusalem to help his countrymen, and for their protection rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Before making any plans or attempting any action, the narrative states, Nehemiah "fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven." He recalled God's promises that wherever His children are situated, or in whatever straits they may find themselves, His love and protection can be relied upon. Nehemiah discerned this great work to be the command of God to him, and, knowing this, he gave up his comfortable situation and went to work without fear. Neither did he go to his friends and acquaintances to ask their advice or get their approval of his plans; for we read, "Neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem."

When it became known that Nehemiah planned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the enemies of truth and progress immediately became active to hinder the work. First, they tried to discourage the workers with fear—fear that their enemies could make the king believe that Nehemiah was inciting the people to rebellion. Next, they tried the weapon of sarcasm, and undertook to discourage the workers by making them think that what they built would not endure. But Nehemiah looked only to God, and knew that because it was God's work it would endure. Then Sanballat and Tobiah brought the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, and they all conspired to fight the good work. Some of Nehemiah's own people, even, brought him word ten times that the enemies would surely get him; but Nehemiah only set his watch the stronger, and reminded his people that the Lord was greater than all their enemies. When these enemies had failed, Sanballat and Tobiah brought all the rest of the enemies, and they tried deceit and offers of cooperation, those most subtle of Satan's weapons. They plotted to take Nehemiah's life, and under feigned friendship warned him of danger, in order to catch him off guard; but again, through spiritual discernment, Nehemiah realized that God had not sent them to warn him, but that it was a plot to take his life.

It is interesting to see that at first only Sanballat and Tobiah took notice of the work; but as it progressed, others joined in; and when they failed to discourage the workers, all the enemies of truth and progress joined together and used every art and device to try to defeat the building of the wall. At the same time it is interesting to note that as the enemies multiplied, the discernment and wisdom of Nehemiah and his followers increased, so that at all times their protection was adequate. Every attack of the enemy made clearer to Nehemiah the necessity for rebuilding the wall, just as every attack and delay of mortal mind forces us to build our defenses higher and stronger. So, through the spiritual understanding of Nehemiah, the work was accomplished, and "the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off."

God's will is not accomplished in us in a moment, a day, or a week. Sometimes it takes years for a problem to be worked out completely; but the revelation of the truth governing any problem may come in a moment, sometimes in a single flash of spiritual illumination; and through constant holding to the revelation of Truth all fear and doubt are overcome, and each step in the development of the problem is taken calmly and with assurance.

Some years ago a Christian Scientist came to a place in the development of his affairs where it was necessary to take one of two well-defined roads. The problem to be solved was an important one, and the Scientist had to feel satisfied that the right road was being taken. During the work there was much fear to be overcome in the consciousness of the worker, and on one occasion study was continued until far into the night. About this time there appeared what to him was a wonderful Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly on the subject, "Is the Universe, Including Man, Evolved by Atomic Force?" and the development of the lesson brought out the spiritual truth that man is governed by the law of God, the law of good, and by no other law. In the Lesson occurred the following verse from the one hundred and nineteenth psalm: "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth." In a flash of revelation of what the law of God is and how it operates in human affairs, the room seemed to be filled with light, and the consciousness of the worker was illumined as never before; and the thought came: God's law is the truth; and if I am not afraid of the truth of this proposition being revealed, whatever it turns out to be, then there is nothing to fear. The fear was lost then and there. The vicissitudes of the material working out of the problem were many, extending over a number of years; but the revelation of the protection of divine law was never lost, and the human steps were taken with confidence.

In Isaiah we read, "He that believeth shall not make haste." Resting in the illumination of spiritual sense, we wait for the leadings of Truth and avoid precipitating wrong action. Thus, then, does the so-called mortal, through winning spiritual understanding, see and do the will of God; and in the doing of God's will there is perfect protection, not only for one of God's children, but for all who are connected with the problem to be solved. This is the essence of all right action. It is only when we leave all for Truth, and give up our own wills and our own planning, that we can be, and are, guided by divine Love. When we do this, we come out into the open plain of what Mrs. Eddy calls, in Science and Health (p. 533), "man's rich inheritance and God's behest, dominion over all the earth."

Copyright, 1927, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, Falmouth and St. Paul Streets, Boston, Massachusetts, Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918.