Article August 24, 1929 Issue

How Divine Love Meets the Human Need

M. ADELAIDE HOLTON

"Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need." These words of Mrs. Eddy on page 494 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" are familiar to all Christian Scientists, and are often quoted by them with sincere expectancy of deliverance from discord. It is an inspired and inspiring promise; but before the supply can rightfully be expected, the implied conditions must be understood and fulfilled.

To be eligible for this divine influx of good one must have gained some understanding of God, and must be willing to increase that light through active obedience to the immutable laws of divine Principle. To sit down and expect good to descend as the rain without any effort on one's own part, or by simply repeating the words of the promise, is futile. It is equivalent to wishing for land and flocks, prosperity and health, and expecting divine Love to bestow them upon us, before we know what true substance is and how it becomes available. Jesus' thirty years of overcoming the beliefs of the flesh, and his understanding of unity with the Father, made it possible for him to feed the multitude. He did not sit down in anxiety and doubt, beseeching God for bread. He knew the ever-presence of divine Mind and its unfailing supply, and through this realization, divine Love met the human need. His scientific knowing reflected the might of Mind, according to the unimpeachable law of God. Without his spiritual understanding of the truth this demonstration could not have been made. Simply repeating the promise, or having merely blind faith in it, would have been insufficient.

Daniel's spiritual faith in the availability of divine Love to meet his human need was put to the test when he was cast into the den of lions. Before this experience he proved his unity with divine intelligence in interpreting the king's dream; and the king acknowledged this spiritual power, saying, "Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret." Then the king appointed Daniel to be ruler over Babylon and chief of the governors. This recognition of his enlightenment and this distinction aroused hatred, jealousy, and envy among his coworkers; but this only impelled him to rise higher in the understanding of Truth, and to cling more steadfastly to God. To have expected divine Love to deliver him from the cruelty of his persecutors, while resting in contentment and self-righteousness, would have been futile.

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The Mastery of Fear
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