"Wait on the Lord"

Duncan Sinclair

How often have the weary and the sick waited patiently on God to lift the burden from them! And how often have many of them as they waited had their faith strengthened by the words of the Psalmist: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord;" or those of Isaiah: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." These and many similar passages have brought consolation to untold numbers of the human race, have fostered trust in God, and have begotten a faith which has done wonders in helping them to endure the hardships incidental to mortal existence.

While the passages just quoted have richly blessed mankind since first they were uttered, it is only since Christian Science began to shed its heavenly glow over the pages of the Bible that they may be said to have reached their maximum of inspirational power. For in revealing the truth about God and His spiritual creation, Christian Science has given to men the key wherewith to unlock the Bible. It is enabling them to bring to the study of the Bible such an understanding of Truth and Life and Love that they can readily distinguish between good and evil, between the real and the unreal, the true and the false, and so benefit by the moral and spiritual lessons it contains.

It is readily apparent that the word "Lord" is what may be called the key-word in the above quotations, because their import varies according to the meaning the reader attaches to the word. The Hebrew people, thinking of God as a tribal deity,—Jehovah,—must necessarily have taken a less spiritual and therefore a less helpful meaning out of the words of both the Psalmist and Isaiah than the Christian concept of God affords; and yet, how strengthening to their courage and heart the words were! It is only, however, when one becomes rightly informed about the nature of God as Christian Science reveals it, that one beholds "the glory of the Lord" and is able to derive from such passages as those quoted a far greater measure of helpfulness than he has ever before experienced.

God, as revealed by Christian Science, is not the God of a single tribe or nation, or of a select number of people; God is the divine Principle of all reality. God is the divine Mind, which knows and loves His own perfect spiritual creation. And this spiritual creation is man. In Christian Science there is no question as to the relationship existing between God and man. It is fixed—absolutely fixed: God is perfect cause and man is perfect effect; and therefore there never can be any dissolution of the perfect union existing between God and man. So important is this understanding that Mrs. Eddy could write in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 218, 219): "When we wake to the truth of being, all disease, pain, weakness, weariness, sorrow, sin, death, will be unknown, and the mortal dream will forever cease."

The words of Mrs. Eddy just quoted carry one far beyond even the inspired words of Psalmist and prophet we have been considering; for not only will those who "wait on the Lord" in the highest, that is, in the scientific sense, be strengthened as they "wake to the truth of being," but evil in every form will cease to seem real to them, or will become unknown; and that will mean an end to the mortal dream. Christian Science is teaching men not only the true nature of God, divine Principle, but also the nature of His laws and how to apply them; and the application of the laws of divine Principle is bringing about the awakening out of the dream of material existence.

Christian Science is very practical. To the sick, the weary, the sorrowing, the sinning, it says, "Wait on the Lord." And by that it means, Turn your thoughts Godward, and hold them there; for thus you will be healed. God, it tells us, is good—infinite good; and evil it pronounces unreal, because God is infinite good. As the truth is realized, healing takes place—health displacing disease; strength, weakness; joy, sorrow; goodness, sin. And if we abide in the consciousness of Truth, false material sense must more and more disappear, with all its trials and distresses. Our revered Leader writes (Science and Health, p. 183): "Divine Mind rightly demands man's entire obedience, affection, and strength. No reservation is made for any lesser loyalty. Obedience to Truth gives man power and strength. Submission to error superinduces loss of power." And when we know the truth about God, divine Mind, should it be difficult to wait on Him, giving Him that obedience which is rightly demanded of us?

Duncan Sinclair

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