Editorial March 12, 1927 Issue

God Protects and Sustains Man

Duncan Sinclair

The Bible is rich in incidents which tell of the protecting and sustaining power of God. A study of the Old Testament reveals the seers of the Hebrew race gaining in knowledge of God, and with the knowledge becoming more certain of His power to supply the needs of men. What story could be more illuminating in this respect than that of Joseph, which tells of his protection after being sold into slavery, of his delivery from the hand of his enemies, and recounts his promotion even to be the head, under Pharaoh, of the government of Egypt? And how was this rendered possible? Through the patriarch's faith in God; through his confidence in God and his fearlessness of evil. Joseph proved conclusively that God's power to sustain and protect is assured to all who definitely align themselves on the side of right. How well do the words of the Psalmist represent the situation: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

As with Joseph, so it was with Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, Samuel, David, and the prophets, "who," as the writer to the Hebrews says, "through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." Truly a wonderful record of divine protection and deliverance! And a record which Christian Science shows was made possible, in every detail of it, through a measure of understanding of God and His ever acting spiritual law.

What, then, is the Science behind the protecting power of God? Christian Science makes it plain that whosoever will may gain an understanding of it. And it may be said at once that it is based on a correct understanding of God and man, and of man's relationship to God. In Christian Science God is acknowledged to be infinite, as Spirit or Mind, and His creation is recognized as consisting of spiritual ideas. It could not be otherwise: infinite Mind must express itself through spiritual ideas. Thus man, God's creation, is the expression, or idea, of infinite Mind. No false belief of mortals can alter the divine fact of man's indissoluble unity with God. No false belief of mortals in sorrow, suffering, separation, sickness,—lack of any sort,—can alter the absolute truth that man, as God's spiritual idea, is perfectly protected, sustained, and governed by perfect Mind.

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