I was walking across the lawn at the front of our house, enjoying the cool, squishy feeling of the grass under my bare feet, when suddenly there was an agonizing burning in my left foot. I live in Australia, where there are many things that bite and sting, and a pain of that magnitude is not a good thing. I spun around, looked down, and saw that I had been stung by a large wasp. 

An often-used expression in Christian Science is “Know the truth.” It comes from Christ Jesus’ instruction “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Immediately, I did so, and as quickly as the first truthful, healing thought came, the pain left. There was no evidence of a sting, and I had no further reaction to it. 

So what does knowing the truth really entail, and how can we be instant in our knowing of this truth that heals and protects?