The children of Israel on their journey from Egypt to Canaan reached the vast wilderness of Paran. On the way their divinely directed leader, Moses, had shown them many proofs of the great truth that God protects and guides His children. Now they were in sight of the land which, generations before, God had promised Abraham should be theirs.

Here, in the wilderness, God directed Moses to send twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan. Accordingly these twelve set forth and after forty days returned with their findings. They brought fruit of fine quality which, they said, grew in abundance in Canaan, and they said Canaan was a very desirable land in many ways. But some of the spies reported unfavorably in these words (Num.13:31): "We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we." They then proceeded to represent the Canaanites as giants, compared to whom the Israelites were as grasshoppers. So persuasive were their arguments that those ten men succeeded in mesmerizing that whole vast throng of thousands of Israelites, until their fear was so great they refused to proceed. Instead, they yielded to great discouragement and a sense of frustration.

However, there were two spies who did not fear the Canaanites. These two, Joshua and Caleb, tried to reason with the Israelites. They pointed out that Canaan was a good and desirable land, and they urged that the Canaanites be not feared, saying (Num. 14:9), "The Lord is with us: fear them not." But the people would not listen. They continued to rebel against what they believed the situation to be, and they were afraid. Consequently they remained in the wilderness of Paran for many years. When at last they entered Canaan, of all those who were there at the time of the above incident, and were twenty years of age or older, only Joshua and Caleb remained. These two entered with the new generation of Israel to enjoy the conquered Canaan. Their faith and spiritual understanding made it possible for them to see the fulfillment of the divine promise to Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and lead them, all the way, into the promised land.

To Christian Scientists the promised land may be likened to spiritual understanding, toward which we are all journeying. We make progress day by day through experiences which are often inspiring, sometimes discouraging, but which are still bringing blessings and still proving progress. Sometimes one seems to be in a wilderness, mentally speaking. In the Glossary of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" its beloved author, Mary Baker Eddy, defines "wilderness" as follows (p. 597): "Loneliness; doubt; darkness. Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence."

Surely, "loneliness; doubt; darkness," do correspond to a wilderness, which, according to a dictionary, is an uncultivated, uninhabited, pathless region. A sufferer from either one or all three of these conditions—"loneliness; doubt: darkness"—is not in an enviable position; but he need never be without hope of deliverance. Christian Science teaches us that a wilderness experience is only a mesmeric condition of thought in which one places himself by yielding to some suggestion of mortal mind, such as sorrow, apathy, limitation of good, fear, or envy. There is no wilderness in the universe of Mind. To know and to be in that universe is the only condition in which man can really be. Recognition of this fact does much to release one from "the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears," to enter into the peace and joy unfolded in the glorious light of Mind.

Each word in Mrs. Eddy's definition of "wilderness" challenges thought and will yield fruitful results when pondered. The word vestibule used here is important. In everyday experience a vestibule is an entrance to a building or to an office or some place of business. Usually one does not linger, or even sit down there. It is a place through which one passes on the way to one's destination. In one's experience the vestibule represents human consciousness, where "spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence."

During the period of the wilderness or vestibule experience one's correct metaphysical work should yield a day-to-day supply for human needs. The daily manna was supplied to the Israelites only while they were in the wilderness. When they reached the promised land, they owned their own homes, their vines, fig trees, herds, and fields. The manna experience was not the abundance of the conquered Canaan, an abundance which could have been theirs much sooner. The manna experience was the evidence that Love is present at all times, but the belief in the reality of any wilderness may limit the visible evidence of supply to a day-to-day provision, whereas greater spiritual understanding presents and provides an ever-increasing outpouring of all good. This fact Mrs. Eddy proved in her own human experience.

The Israelites literally sat down in the vestibule and remained there for forty years. Listening to and agreeing with false reports which represented obstructions as giants, they placed themselves in the position of lack of progress for many long years. So, in human experiences, one may move slowly through the vestibule of human consciousness and visualize giants impeding progress, or one may know that God is working through His Christ, tenderly leading, guiding, providing for, and directing him into the promised land of peace and plenty. And he may know that there is no delay in divine direction.

The records do not tell us that the Canaanites really were giants in stature. It is not good to accept any of the boastful claims of mortality at any time. One can hasten his passage through the vestibule of human consciousness into the light of spiritual reality by quickly refusing to listen to the false reports about the inhabitants of Canaan, alias apparent obstacles to spiritual progress. It is true that each one has much to overcome and much to eliminate from thinking as progress is made into increased purification of thought and spiritual understanding, but one need not linger in the vestibule on the way.

Like Caleb and Joshua, let us all rejoice that "the Lord is with us." Let us know ourselves as actually the spiritual sons of God with dominion over all materiality. Let us joyfully watch and work while "a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence."