Loved by all Bible students is the ninety-first Psalm, which assures us: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

One is enabled to dwell "in the secret place of the most High" through his understanding of God and of man's relationship to Him. We learn in Christian Science that God is infinite Truth, Life, and Love and that He imparts to His creation only that which is completely beneficial. Man, as God's reflection, is the perpetual recipient of spiritually bestowed blessings and is subject only to God's law of continuous harmony.

A requirement for entrance into "the secret place" in order that one may attain that state of consciousness which assures him of happiness, peace, and security is the purification of one's thought. As the student progresses spiritually, he inevitably awakes to the errors that claim a place in his thinking, and at the same time he gains the spiritual understanding which gives him the ability to overcome these errors. He is supported by Truth and Love in all his earnest endeavors to reject discordant or sinful traits as no part of his true, spiritual consciousness and to replace them with the pure, concordant qualities which he reflects from God.

Mrs. Eddy writes in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 244), "The 'secret place,' whereof David sang, is unquestionably man's spiritual state in God's own image and likeness, even the inner sanctuary of divine Science, in which mortals do not enter without a struggle or sharp experience, and in which they put off the human for the divine." Animal magnetism, or the erroneous workings of mortal mind, may sometimes try to prevent the student from experiencing the peace and joy which characterize "the secret place." But evil is powerless to interfere with one's harmonious activity when its unreality and baselessness are understood.

The enlightened student does not ignore evil or neglect to take steps to correct it. But in dealing with evil, he does not think or talk about it as if it were an entity, real and present, nor does he personalize evil by attempting in his thinking to attach it to certain persons or organizations. To put a stop to evil suggestions is to demonstrate their nothingness. But to speculate about where evil suggestions come from is to honor their claim to reality and power. To fear or resent them is to attribute to evil an authority which it does not actually possess.

Evil suggestions have no real source or origin because they do not come from God, all-inclusive Mind, or from Mind's ideas. Our Leader writes in Science and Health (p. 186): "Evil is self-assertive. It says: 'I am a real entity, overmastering good.' This falsehood should strip evil of all pretensions. The only power of evil is to destroy itself. It can never destroy one iota of good."

It is well to face every manifestation of error, whether it claims to be sickness, lack, strife, or some other discord, with the calm but firm realization of its nothingness and to recognize that as God's perfect, eternal expression one is immune to animal magnetism.

Through the faithful study of Christian Science, accompanied by truthful affirmation and prayer, one increases his awareness of the all-power, omnipresence, and loving-kindness of God, divine Principle. Then as he keeps his thoughts spiritually inclined, in line with Truth and Love, he is able to maintain harmony in his daily living and to remain unhampered in his constructive work for the Cause of Christian Science.

The Biblical narrative of David and Goliath illustrates the powerlessness of evil to stand in the face of a clear realization of the omnipotence of God, good. Goliath of the Philistines challenged the army of the Israelites (I Sam. 17:10), "Give me a man, that we may fight together." Evidently he was calling for an individual having the same warlike tendencies as his own whom he could easily overpower through his superior physical strength and equipment.

David, who accepted the challenge, was not that kind of man. His thoughts were imbued with the understanding of the protecting care of God for those who worship and trust Him. He was not intimidated by the formidable appearance of the huge, fully armed warrior or by his boastful threats. He said (verses 45 and 46): "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. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand." Then the youth calmly and confidently went forward and reduced the aggressive claim of evil to its native state of nothingness.

David demonstrated the truth which he afterward set forth in his psalm, namely that one who abides "in the secret place of the most High," in the understanding of God's supremacy and sustaining presence, is assured of divine protection, even under the most trying circumstances.

It is apparent that Christ Jesus dwelt "in the secret place of the most High" through his understanding of the allness of God, Spirit, and of his oneness with God as His reflection. In his resurrection he proved that evil, exerting itself to its utmost, is powerless to affect man's real spiritual identity as the beloved son of God.

By holding to the promises contained in the ninety-first Psalm, a student of Christian Science was aided in overcoming an extreme sense of fear which stayed with her for some time and was especially troublesome at night. The assertion, "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night," was accepted by her as a literal command which must be obeyed.

As she continued to advance spiritually, the student became aware of the unreality, the impotency, of animal magnetism. She perceived that evil could seem to harm her only to the extent that she falsely attributed power and dominion to it in her thinking. It became clear to her that in her real spiritual being she dwelt continuously "in the secret place of the most High," where only good is present and operative and where man is forever safe in God's loving care.

Our Leader once wrote to her students (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 263): "How blessed it is to think of you as 'beneath the shadow of a great rock in a weary land,' safe in His strength, building on His foundation, and covered from the devourer by divine protection and affection. Always bear in mind that His presence, power, and peace meet all human needs and reflect all bliss."