Article June 9, 1928 Issue

Standing Unmoved under Fire

EARL A. RUSSELL

It has been said that one never knows what is in him until he is placed under fire, for then he is called upon to use or prove the best he understands. When one has awakened to the fact that so long as error remains there is a conflict to be waged, he finds himself seemingly under fire, and is faced with problems to be overcome in his own thought, old beliefs to be destroyed. Through loyalty and unselfish devotion to God, he finds also qualities of divine Mind appearing. Before a problem presents itself one may be ignorant of his ability to reflect the divine qualities needed in the particular case; but when the problem appears, he may find himself reflecting and expressing the spiritual understanding needed to solve it.

Moses confidently stretched forth his rod over the Red Sea, and it parted; Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and it stood still; Daniel went into the lions' den, and came out untouched by the lions: each one rose to the occasion as it presented itself, and yet to each it was the first time the problem had appeared. There is no doubt that each was able to bring out such wonderful proofs of God's loving direction, guidance, and protection because of former years of implicit obedience to and trust in God. Each had started with the simpler problems, and through habitually turning to God for guidance, had grown into fitness for the larger proofs and demonstrations.

When David went out to meet Goliath, he was offered armor, a brass helmet and a coat of mail; but he would not use them, for he knew he had not proved them. He however relied upon Spirit, God, not on material protection. When "placed under fire," in the presence of the enemy, he said, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." It was natural that he should overcome and destroy the adversary; for had he not proved this way of dependence on God to be correct in previous encounters with the bear and the lion?

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