Taking God at His Word

OLIVIA E. G. STRATHERN

One day I was walking on a woodland path with a young Scientist who had but a short time before been healed by the word of Truth after years of sickness and pain. We had been gathering wild flowers, and as my friend, who had found a rare flower, was speaking of its beauty and fragrance, she suddenly held up her hand, saying, "But what is this?" and there I saw the well known signs of poison.

I recognized a so-called poison plant near where she had found the flower; but remembering these words in one of our hymns (Hymnal, p. 236), —

If our love were but more simple,
We should take Him at His word,

I calmly said, "Now we have an opportunity to prove God's power and presence. Let us know that divine Love is here, and that there is no poison in Truth." In what seemed a very few minutes she held up her hand with not a trace of swelling or discoloration. The asserted law of mortal mind was proven to be an outlaw, for with childlike faith she had taken God at His word, and the truth spoken so long ago by the psalmist was again verified : "He sent his word, and healed them."

Our hearts were filled with gratitude to God, and as we continued our walk we talked of our heavenly Father's boundless love and kindness, made available to us through the understanding of spiritual law gained from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and Mrs. Eddy's other writings. Presently we were attracted by a few lovely white roses growing high on a bank, all but out of our reach. We, however, thought of a dear one who would be so glad to have them if we could get them for her, and by clinging to some bushes I climbed the bank and secured the beautiful flowers. All at once I began to feel very uncomfortable in my hands, face, and eyes, and my thoughts were filled with fear. When I looked at the bank, I found that I had been holding on to poison-ivy; but my companion's healing had come so quickly that she looked on my predicament as a joke, so I saw that I must work out this problem alone.

The proof of Love's all-power which had just been given us encouraged me, and I tried to realize that I too could take God at His word. We returned to our room at once and soon retired for the night. I endeavored to realize Love's allness and His law, till I fell asleep. In the morning there was no trace of the erroneous belief, and my heart was filled with gratitude as the beautiful words from the hymn already quoted came to me with a richer meaning than ever before : —

For the love of God is broader
Than is seen by human mind,
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit