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Choosing to be “present with the Lord” we are unimpressed with the reports of matter — whether good or bad. As we keep thought focused on our oneness with God, Spirit, Life, Truth and Love — the Soul of our being — we find ourselves dwelling in infinite Mind. The outward expression that we call body must naturally express Soul’s freedom and harmony. We, like Paul, must always give God the credit and glory as we overcome every trial.
The airwaves are full of news about death these days. These reports could breed fear — if we allow it! This week’s Lesson helps us shift our view away from a mortal to an immortal perspective. Jesus’ teaching and example demonstrate how to overcome death by seeing man’s inseparable unity with God — LIFE — incapable of dying. Several recent Lessons have brought out the fact that death is unreal (though certainly seeming very real) — an illusion of the senses. But this week’s Lesson gets very specific, and teaches us how to “turn and live.” It shows us how we can find freedom — and free the world — from both the fear of death, as well as the desire to die, by seeing ourselves (and all) as incapable of being separated from inexhaustible Life. It’s also important to expand our sense of death to include the stoppage of any right activity. We’ll have no part of any of it, but behold Life actively expressing itself in all!
When it came to my attention that a virus is believed to multiply once it infects a cell within a susceptible body (or something like that), I looked for the counterfact to that belief. I considered Bible references to multiplying and found the most in Genesis where there are frequent promises of God making one fruitful and multiplying. God’s spiritual ideas multiply — increase, enlarge, become more in number (according to Hebrew). That is a function of Mind (intelligence). Matter is non-intelligent and so is incapable of multiplying.
As we follow the teachings and examples given in both the Bible and Science and Health we can awaken to the allness of God and demonstrate the powerlessness of material belief to have a hold on us. There is a law in operation — the law of Truth — that quiets fears and governs all mankind. As we bear witness to this law, we can insist on seeing its effect in the overcoming of disease, including so-called contagious disease (no matter how threatening it seems), as well as bringing about a general sense of stability, freedom and harmony in our own lives and throughout the world. This is not burdensome work, but a joy! Starting now, let’s accept the challenge, and embrace the idea of gaining a clearer sense of the allness of limitless Spirit and the nothingness of limited and limiting matter.
Whenever — for whatever reason — we may be tempted to feel hopeless or helpless about a situation, it is helpful — mandatory in fact — to remember that “Everything comes from him [God]; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes. (Rom. 11: 36, The Message) The wisdom we most need is the understanding that God is the source of all things — truly the ALL of everything! We’re never left to our own devices!! Several verses of the Responsive Reading describe the effect of gaining wisdom and understanding (see Prov. 3: 23, 24; Prov. 4: 22): (1) We will navigate whatever comes our way safely, without stumbling; (2) When we lie down to go to sleep (or simply when the darkness of night comes) we will not be afraid and we will be able to sleep peacefully, without anxiety; and (3) this understanding vitalizes us and enables us to experience health.
We are encouraged in this Lesson to arm ourselves with the sword of Truth, or Spirit, which is the Word of God, not be afraid of whatever evil suggestion may present itself, and vigorously go after it in order to eliminate it. Truth destroys error completely — leaving no residue. There is some mention of truth and sword in every section of this lesson, including the Golden Text and Responsive Reading. Have fun, as I did, letting your concept of this sword of Truth expand as you read.
This week’s Bible Lesson helps us gain a perspective that is helpful in enabling us to have mastery over the suggestions of material belief. Trusting God to reveal to us His allness and onliness, and refusing to bow down to the idolatry of matter, we are freed from every false belief. The Lesson helps us see what matter is and isn’t and the practical application of this understanding. God’s love is sufficient to free us from every false concept — including the belief that matter has life, truth, intelligence, substance, and the power to govern us as a false god. Pay special attention to statements running throughout regarding God being absolutely all and the only power. Refuse to fall into the trap of thinking that it is hard to really understand (or even accept) the idea that matter is nothing. Taking it step by step, thought awakens to Truth and the blessings of glimpsing the allness of Spirit and the nothingness of matter are boundless!
How wonderful to realize that whatever we ned to know, we can and will know because God (Mind) is forever teaching us all things. What God teaches brings peace, comfort, and healing. We can count on it! Understanding this enables us to dismiss false teachings that continually confront us and that tempt us to accept mortal views of limitation, conflict and discord. There is no pecking order in God’s universe. No individual has a greater proclivity to receive instruction than another. God’s love is unconditional and universal, so no one is left out of Mind’s gracious unfolding. As we study this week’s Lesson, we can rejoice in the promise that as we commit our works to God (trust every thought and action to the one Mind) our thoughts will be established (stable, ordered, and perfect). (RR)
From the time we were little kids we’ve been taught to “tell the truth.” In order to tell the truth, we need to know what the truth is. And, although this admonition is usually thought of in terms of accurately describing events, there is a deeper sense of telling the truth that has a much greater impact on living a healthy, happy, prosperous life that includes being a blessing to our world. In order to tell the truth about man’s being, we have to know (understand) Truth — the reality of God and His universe. And, in order to tell this kind of truth — that is often contrary to the testimony of the material senses — we need to be able to recognize spiritual truth.
This is the first of several references in this week’s Lesson which speaks of God as the creator of all things. God (and all of creation) dwells in the kingdom of God — created by God (Mind). There is nothing left for man to create or to be the creation of anything other than the goodness of God. Have you noticed that some variation of this theme of God’s allness has been in every Lesson for quite some time now? It just might be worth paying attention to! Think of it as the key to seeing the harmony of being, present now, revealing a universe untouched by “atomic force.”
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