Our Daily Bread

ARTHUR F. CURRAN

After the children of Israel had been led safely through the Red Sea, they journeyed into a wilderness where they were fed with "bread from heaven." It is recorded in Exodus that the Lord said unto Moses, "And the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no." Those who gathered more than they needed found that by the following morning what had not been used was of no value, while a fresh supply of manna was theirs for the gathering.

Even after witnessing the destruction of the hosts of Pharaoh it was necessary for the children of Israel to preserve an active confidence in God and obey His laws in order to prove that He was the source of their supply as well as protection. Not understanding that the eternal God is the source of all true substance, mortals seek to provide for themselves by storing up materially; but during the present period of the world's progress many have been forced to realize the worthlessness and uncertainty of material things on which they had depended for supply.

On page 597 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy gives the metaphysical interpretation of the word "wilderness," a part of which is, "Loneliness; doubt; darkness."

During one wilderness experience a student of Christian Science found the following verse from the Psalms very helpful: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed." As indicated in many of the Bible promises, there are certain instructions to be obeyed before we can see the fulfillment of the promise; and these instructions always call for activity on our part. We soon learn that constant alertness is required in establishing and maintaining our trust in Truth. In order to "do good" we must help to meet the different human needs by right thinking, and also by giving of our time, and perhaps our money. And as we begin to distinguish between true needs and the desires of mortal mind we find it is possible to increase our giving

"Never ask for to-morrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help; and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment." This statement by Mrs. Eddy appears on page 307 of "Miscellaneous Writings"; and here again right mental activity is specified in the words "never doubting." Positive reliance on God and the prompt and vigorous denial of every suggestion which would cause us to doubt the presence and ability of Love require true mental energy. But the reward is "according to the power that worketh in us," as Paul wrote to the Ephesians. An almost forgotten effort to "do good" in the past has often yielded returns in a time of need. And a sincere endeavor to "wait, never doubting," has brought supply to light through some quite unexpected channel.

In order to pass victoriously through a wilderness of doubt and mental darkness we need to place our faith in something more substantial than matter, and this can be done through becoming acquainted with the truth of spiritual being as revealed in Christian Science. In the first chapter of Genesis we read that God made man in His own image and likeness, gave him dominion, and blessed him. This man of God's creating needs only the things of God, which have been his from the beginning. He is ever at home with "our Father," from whom he is receiving a continual abundance of all good—spiritual riches, health, happiness. As the sun constantly pours its warmth and golden light into every ray which proceeds from it, so God is always giving of His perfect completeness to His reflection, man.

These eternal facts about God and man constitute "our daily bread," for "our bread, "which cometh down from heaven,' is Truth" (Science and Health, p. 35); and we can gather this bread daily through the study of the Bible, the writings of Mrs. Eddy, and the authorized Christian Science periodicals. The next step is to use what we gather, for unless we do this it will be of little value to us. But the daily search for more of the ideas of Spirit, combined with obedience to the laws of God and the continuous application of what we understand of Truth, will protect and direct us through and out of every seeming wilderness.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit