In the one hundredth Psalm we read, "Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing;" also, "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise." Students of Christian Science have proved by experience the joy and gladness consequent on fulfilling the duties pertaining to church membership, and following the Master's injunctions to "preach the gospel" and "heal the sick." Many are the expressions of gratitude given at our testimony meetings by those whose outlook on life has been completely changed, their sorrow turned to joy, their gloom to gladness, through their enlightened study of the Bible. They have seen the truth more clearly through the illuminating light thrown upon hitherto obscure passages by their study of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and of other writings by Mary Baker Eddy.

Christian Science teaches us that God is omnipotent, all-powerful, and that man is His image and likeness; that "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." It necessarily follows that man, God's image or likeness, is entirely spiritual and good. What a source of joy this message is to each one of us, and how gladly we go about our different duties when we realize this important truth! As we rise in the morning and contemplate the unfolding of more truth, we mentally sing, "Early in the morning will I praise Thee, O God." The daily reading of the Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly proves a source of strength, sending us on our way rejoicing. And whether "the trivial round, the common task," has to be performed at home, in an office, workshop, or in the open, we are conscious of a certain something, a helpful presence, that is with us all the time. Just as Moses heard God's promise, "My presence shall go with thee," so do we realize and rejoice in that same presence, knowing that our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

As one goes to his business with this thought, knowing that his true business is good, that whatever he may be doing in the right spirit is going to help someone, he experiences a joy and happiness which amply compensates for whatever may seem irksome or difficult to overcome. As he realizes the ever-present help of infinite Mind, he performs his tasks with an amount of strength and joyousness that may seem marvelous to those who do not yet understand their divine source.

Sometimes an occasion arises which may tent to cause the reverse of rejoicing—some business calamity, some difficulty which seems for the time almost insurmountable, and which, if not properly handled, would tend to cause sorrow rather than joy. Under such circumstances, what is the correct thing to do? Are we to bow before this seeming difficulty and metaphorically let the waves roll over us? Certainly not! Then is the time to claim anew our dominion as God's perfect reflection. We can know that since God saw everything that He had made and it was good, so can we prove that an apparently present evil is not of God, but is only a difficulty that can be overcome. Even as the sun disperses darkness, so our understanding and acceptance of God as a very present help can disperse the mental gloom and enable us to overcome the difficulty. Is our problem one of sickness? Then let us remember our Leader's words (Science and Health, p. 410): "Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. The more difficult seems the material condition to be overcome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love."

Again, it is impossible to overestimate the power of praise when we remember how Paul and Silas, wrongfully imprisoned, sang praises to God in the hour of darkest gloom, and how their service of praise brought them speedy deliverance, happy release. God, the same yesterday, today, and forever, was their God and is our God. Their deliverer is our deliverer, and will do for us what He did for them. But we must have similar faith. We must be prepared to stand as firmly for truth as they did, and "having done all, to stand."

If we wish to find harmony, we must do our part in expressing Mind's harmony. If we are desirous of receiving good from others, we must constantly be expressing goodness to others. Then, as we are constant in doing good and expressing love to others, so shall we demonstrate the power to overcome our own difficulties. The way will open for victory, and we shall sing and rejoice in the knowledge of the affluence of our God. In the language of one of our hymns, we shall be able to say, "My heart is singing: I have found the way."