"The glory prepared for them who love God"

MARJORIE C. SELLERS

A Student of Christian Science once thought that a painful experience she was passing through at the time was separating her from all the joy, harmony, and freedom she had previously known through an understanding of God's omnipresence. Because it seemed to her so difficult to get a clear vision of Truth, she frequently had to remind herself that on other occasions, when erroneous conditions had seemed real, the lie had always been reversed and harmony proved indestructible. When the awakening finally came, a firmer conviction than ever was gained that evil is impotent to destroy one iota of good.

Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 566), "As the children of Israel were guided triumphantly through the Red Sea, the dark ebbing and flowing tides of human fear,—as they were led through the wilderness, walking wearily through the great desert of human hopes, and anticipating the promised joy,—so shall the spiritual idea guide all right desires in their passage from sense to Soul, from a material sense of existence to the spiritual, up to the glory prepared for them who love God."

Whatever wilderness experience may seem to be ours, we have the comforting thought that God's tender, loving care is ever with us, guiding us in ways we may not know, preparing our thought for the acceptance of truths we may as yet be unable to grasp, and bringing us with absolute certainty to behold that "glory prepared for them who love God." The thought which is humble, willing to let God's purpose appear, is being made ready to accept salvation. Humility is the admission that there is but one Mind and power, and that man reflects this one Mind. When men humbly acknowledge the omnipotence of good and the impotence of human will, they will find unfolding to their thought the purpose of divine Love, which is altogether acceptable and satisfying.

Mortal mind has many ways of diverting attention from omnipresent good, one of which is that of dwelling on past experiences. The folly of doing this is clearly illustrated in the story of Lot's wife. Though she was fleeing from the evil city of Sodom, she was reluctant to leave it, and, looking back, was turned into a pillar of salt. Should our thoughts turn to past mistakes, we may find our progress temporarily impeded. Spiritual vision has a forward look; and it is the Christian Scientist's privilege to prove true these words from a hymn:

"Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen."

When one is striving to emerge from a discordant experience, mortal mind may try to obstruct the awakening through discouragement. One may be tempted to believe that God has forgotten His child, and that it is hopeless to resist evil suggestions. One learns that only by persistent acknowledgment of omnipresent perfection are results obtained. Mrs. Eddy says on page 400 of Science and Health, "By lifting thought above error, or disease, and contending persistently for truth, you destroy error." We know that God's love for all His children is more constant than the tenderest love of any human parent. How baseless, then, is any suggestion to the contrary; and how futile the power of error to discourage thought which is imbued with love!

Deep and consecrated study is often necessary before we can say with Job, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee." But however long we may have to search, our necessity brings us this blessing: through consecrated effort we gain more of the vision of "a new heaven and a new earth" which John saw on Patmos, and which Mrs. Eddy labored so lovingly to make clear to mankind. It is "the glory prepared for them who love God"—a glory more satisfying than human thought ever imagined.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

"For right reasoning"

September 2, 1939

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit