Article November 2, 1940 Issue

"I will be with thee"

LUDA F. CORLEY

When the children of Israel were ready to enter the land which, according to promise, was to be their home, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant stepped into the waters of the Jordan before the dry ground over which the people were to pass could be seen, before "the waters that come down from above" were cut off. The priests and the people must have been confidently relying upon God's promise made to Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee." God was with them now as He had been throughout the long wilderness journey, as indicated by the fact that, led by the courageous Joshua, "all the Israelites passed over on dry ground."

Fulfillment of the promise, "I will be with thee," is realized when help is needed. According to the teachings of Christian Science, God is Mind, and Mind is expressed in ideas. God is ever present; therefore, the spiritual ideas needed to guide, protect, deliver are present wherever one may be. Guidance, safety, protection, harmony, bespeak God's presence. If, however, these seem to be absent, one need not fear that God is absent. Instead, this may indicate a limited understanding of the infinitude of God. Realization that divine Love is infinite ever-presence, includes the realization that discord, insecurity, inharmony are absent. It excludes fear of an evil presence and power, destroys belief in a harmful cause, with resultant discordant effect; and the word of the Psalmist that God is "a very present help in trouble" is thereby proved true.

Material sense tends to confuse, and human reason may fail to hear Love's tender whisper, "This is the way." But true courage, the effect of trusting in divine wisdom, enables one to go forward. The path through the turbulent waters of mortal mind may not be apparent to human vision; but to spiritual understanding the way is there and becomes apparent to persistent, steadfast reliance upon divine Love. How comforting is the line of a song, "He never leaves His child to walk alone"!

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