mybiblelesson mar. 24–30

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE QUARTERLY MYBIBLELESSON © 2014 THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING SOCIETY Reality Vi s i t myBibleLesson.com Mar. 24–30, 2014

. . . I am God, and there is none else;Golden Text Isaiah 46:9 I am (to ;)

. . . who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 12 . . . I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. 13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. 14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; 17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou should-est go. 8 . . . In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in

a day of salvation have I helped thee: 9 That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;

Responsive Reading Isaiah 45:21 who; 48:12–14 I am (to ;), 17; 49:8 In (to :), 9, 10, 13, 16 (to ;)

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Christian Science Quarterly™ Mar. 24–30

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SECTION THREE: God’s reflection is as perfect as He is—and this can be proven. Page 4

SECTION FOUR: Health doesn’t depend on matter! Page 5

SECTION FIVE: Experience the enduring, good, and true. Page 6

SECTION SIX: Spiritual growth shows reality in all its perfection. Page 7

SECTION TWO: The choice is yours. You’ll make the right one. Page 3

SECTION ONE: All reality is in, of, by, and with God, and it’s good! Page 2


2

1 | Jeremiah 23:24 Do

o not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.

2 | Isaiah 45:6 there, 18 (to 2nd ;), 19, 21 who, 22

there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. 18 For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 21 who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

3 | Psalms 119:65, 68 (to ;), 73 (to :), 77

Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto thy word. 68 Thou art good, and doest good; 73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: 77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my delight.

4 | I Corinthians 2:12, 13 (to ;)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;

1 | 588:7 (only, to ;)

HOLY GHOST. Divine Science;

2 | 522:10

Existence, separate from divinity, Science explains as impossible.

3 | 331:11–13, 20

The Scriptures imply that God is All-in-all. From 12 this it follows that nothing possesses reality nor existence except the divine Mind and His ideas.

He is all- 21 inclusive, and is reflected by all that is real

The universal cause

and eternal and by nothing else. He fills all space, and it is impossible to conceive of such omnipresence and in- 24 dividuality except as infinite Spirit or Mind. Hence all is Spirit and spiritual.

4 | 472:24–30 All

24 All reality is in God and His creation, harmonious and eternal. That which He creates is good, and He makes all that is made. Therefore 27 the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is

Unrealities that seem real

the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise. They are not 30 true, because they are not of God.

5 | 127:4

If God, the All-in-all, be the creator of

Science and Christianity

the spiritual universe, including man, then everything 6 entitled to a classification as truth, or Science, must be comprised in a knowledge or understanding of God, for there can be nothing beyond illimitable divinity.

1THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy

seed of Jacob: descendants of Jacob; the people of Israeldivinity: the nature or essence of God; the divine beingerring: mistaken; sinningillimitable: limitless; incapable of having limits or bounds

of the original temple in Jerusalem (586 BC), the author of this part of Isaiah tried to bring all nations back to worshipping one God. In

this passage, God brings a message of comfort and salvation to the Jewish people, and reminds them that there is only one true God.

AFTER THE DESTRUCTION

D

Lord, I am overflowing with your

blessings, just as you promised.

—Psalms 119:65 The Living Bible

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LEARN TO DANCE—FOUR EASY STEPS

DISCOVER, STEP BY STEP, that God is All-in-all and that reality is in, of, by, and with God. Everything is spiritual and perfect, harmonious and good.

Stay in step with

Reality

DANCE Steps

Four God is All-in-all.1

You can never be

separated from your partner, God.

2 All that is real is spiritual, harmonious, and good.

3 Understand God, and you’ll understand truth, or Science. Cha-cha-cha!

4

Oops! I lost a step somewhere.

1

2

6

4

5

7

8

I don’t really know what I’m doing.

NEEDING DANCE LESSONS THE DIVINE DANCE—LEARNING TO STAY IN STEP WITH GOD

Basics 1–2–3


3

6 | 480:31–4

As vapor melts before the sun, so evil would vanish before the reality of good. One must hide the 1 other. How important, then, to choose good as the reality! Man is tributary to God, Spirit, and to nothing 3 else. God’s being is infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.

7 | 205:15

15 Befogged in error (the error of believing that matter can be intelligent for good or evil), we can catch clear glimpses of God only as the mists disperse, 18 or as they melt into such thinness that we per- ceive the divine image in some word or deed

Perceiving the divine

image which indicates the true idea, — the supremacy and real- 21 ity of good, the nothingness and unreality of evil.

8 | 299:26

Corporeal sense, or error, may seem to hide Truth, 27 health, harmony, and Science, as the mist obscures the sun or the mountain; but Science, the sunshine of Truth, will melt away the shadow and reveal the celestial 30 peaks.

9 | 347:26–31

The dream that matter and error are something 27 must yield to reason and revelation. Then mortals will behold the nothingness of sickness and sin, and sin and sickness will disappear from consciousness. 30 The harmonious will appear real, and the inharmonious unreal.

10 | 269:5

Jesus’ demon- 6 strations sift the chaff from the wheat, and unfold the unity and the reality of good, the unreality, the nothingness, of evil.

5 | James 5:8 stablish (to :), 12 let (to 2nd ;)

tablish your hearts: 12 let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay;

6 | Jeremiah 23:28

The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.

7 | Isaiah 7:14 the, 15

the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

8 | Matthew 21:11 This

This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

9 | II Corinthians 1:19–22, 24 by

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timo-theus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21 Now he which stab-lisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 24 by faith ye stand.

10 | Job 7:9 the (to :)

the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away:


stablish your hearts: stand firm; stay steady and strongyea be yea: yes be yesnay, nay: no be nochaff: husks of grain that are light and worthlesssealed us: put his stamp on us; identified us as his ownvapor: fog; misttributary: subject; subordinate; under another’s controlobscures: hides; conceals

Swheatheart! I’ve given you the best three

months of my life—and now you say

I chafe you?

WHO ARE YOU DANCING WITH?

PARTNERThe

Choose good as the reality

DANCE Competition

The wig is frotastic, mate! But

you’re still out of step with Truth.

I’m definitely not dancing with

this guy!

Open

Silvanus and the Greek name Silas are almost certainly equivalent. Silvanus accompanied Paul on his second missionary trip (see Acts 15–18) to Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Philippi, where they

were imprisoned and eventually released (see Acts 16:19–39). Silvanus also served as Peter’s scribe (see I Peter 5:12).

THE LATIN NAME

BIBLE

BIOS

BIBLE

BIOS

s


4

11 | 109:4

Christian Science reveals incontrovertibly that Mind is All-in-all, that the only realities are the divine Mind 6 and idea. This great fact is not, however, seen to be supported by sensible evidence, until its

Scientific evidence

divine Principle is demonstrated by healing the sick and 9 thus proved absolute and divine. This proof once seen, no other conclusion can be reached.

12 | 352:8

To Jesus, not

Spirit the tangible

9 materiality, but spirituality, was the reality of man’s existence, while to the rabbis the spiritual was the intangi- ble and uncertain, if not the unreal.

13 | 476:4, 32–4

In divine Science, God and the real man are inseparable as divine Principle and idea.

Jesus beheld in Science the per- 1 fect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour 3 saw God’s own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.

14 | 286:13

He knew that the divine Principle, Love, creates and governs all that 15 is real.

15 | 200:16

The great truth in the Science of being, that the real man was, is, and ever shall be perfect, is incontrovertible; 18 for if man is the image, reflection, of God, he is neither inverted nor subverted, but upright and Godlike.


AHow I love to do your will,

my God! I keep your teaching

in my heart.

—Psalms 40:8 Good News Translation

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I don’t see you that way. You don’t have to waltz with fear and limitation. Let your

understanding of God as All-in-all take the lead.

How nice to see you again. I’ve had a

wonderful healing, based on what you said. Hmmm . . .

I might need a taller partner, or . . .

I’ve been burdened lately by stress, fear, and

uncertainty.

NEXT WEEKENDSeeing man as spiritual and perfectCHANGE OF STEP

The

11 | Acts 10:38 God

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and heal-ing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

12 | Luke 13:11–17

nd, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed

together, and could in no wise lift up herself. 12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 13 And he laid his hands on her: and immedi-ately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 15 The Lord then an-swered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? 17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

13 | Psalms 40:8

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

indignation: angerhypocrite: deceiver; pretender; someone who acts in contradiction to his or her principles, beliefs, or feelings

bond: bondage; slavery; captivityincontrovertibly: indisputably; in an obvious and provable mannerintangible: imperceptible; invisible; elusive; indefinite


5

14 | Jeremiah 8:15, 22

e looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!

22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

15 | Jeremiah 30:11 I am (to 1st :), 13 thou hast,

17 I will (to ;), 22

I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: 13 thou hast no healing medicines. 17 I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; 22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

16 | II Timothy 3:14–17 continue

continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

16 | xi:9–14

9 The physical healing of Christian Science results now, as in Jesus’ time, from the operation of divine Principle, before which sin and disease lose their real- 12 ity in human consciousness and disappear as naturally and as necessarily as darkness gives place to light and sin to reformation.

17 | 129:21–24

21 We must abandon pharmaceutics, and take up ontology, — “the science of real being.” We must look deep into realism instead of accepting only the out- 24 ward sense of things.

Ontology needed

18 | 472:6

6 God has set His signet upon Science, making it coordinate with all that is real and only with that which is harmonious and eternal.

God’s law destroys evil

9 Sickness, sin, and death, being inharmonious, do not originate in God nor belong to His government. His law, rightly understood, destroys them. Jesus furnished 12 proofs of these statements.

19 | 230:1

1 If sickness is real, it belongs to immortality; if true, it is a part of Truth. Would you attempt with drugs, 3 or without, to destroy a quality or condition of Truth? But if sickness and sin are illusions, the awakening from this mortal dream, or illusion, will bring us into health, 6 holiness, and immortality. This awakening is the forever coming of Christ, the advanced appearing of Truth, which casts out error and heals the sick. This is the sal- 9 vation which comes through God, the divine Principle, Love, as demonstrated by Jesus.

20 | 288:29–1

The Christ-element in the Messiah made him

The Christ-element

30 the Way-shower, Truth and Life. The eternal Truth destroys what mortals seem to have learned from error, and man’s real existence as a child 1 of God comes to light.


or lotion used for medicinal purposes. It was probably made from the fragrant resin of a small shrub. It was widely used in North Africa,

where it grows, and in the Middle East, including in Gilead.

BALM WAS AN OIL

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. II Timothy 3:16—New Living Translation

throughly furnished: thoroughly equipped

pharmaceutics: the science of preparing and dispensing drugs as healing agentssignet: a sign or seal of authority

W

and you remember that ever since you were a child, you

have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that

leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

—II Timothy 3:15 Good News Translation

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diseasedisease

Swing your partner round and round. Spin him fast, and he’ll leave town.There’s

somethin’ weird about this city slicker cowboy

who keeps steppin’ on my feet.

I’m gettin’ a new partner.

DANCE WITH GOD

CHANGE OF PARTNERThe


6


17 | Psalms 74:10

God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

18 | Deuteronomy 4:39

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

19 | Philippians 4:4, 7–9

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatso-ever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

20 | Psalms 119:89, 140 (to :), 142

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. 140 Thy word is very pure: 142 Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteous-ness, and thy law is the truth.

21 | 580:28–30

ADVERSARY. An adversary is one who opposes, denies, disputes, not one who constructs and sustains reality and 30 Truth.

22 | 359:29–21

A Christian Scientist and an opponent are like two 30 artists. One says: “I have spiritual ideals, indestructible and glorious. When others see

Two different artists

them as I do, in their true light and loveliness, — and 1 know that these ideals are real and eternal because drawn from Truth, — they will find that nothing is lost, and all 3 is won, by a right estimate of what is real.” The other artist replies: “You wrong my experience. I have no mind-ideals except those which are both mental 6 and material. It is true that materiality renders these ideals imperfect and destructible; yet I would not ex- change mine for thine, for mine give me such personal 9 pleasure, and they are not so shockingly transcendental. They require less self-abnegation, and keep Soul well out of sight. Moreover, I have no notion of losing my old 12 doctrines or human opinions.” Dear reader, which mind-picture or externalized thought shall be real to you, — the material or the spiritual? 15 Both you cannot have. You are bringing out your own ideal. This ideal is either temporal

Choose ye to-day

or eternal. Either Spirit or matter is your model. If you 18 try to have two models, then you practically have none. Like a pendulum in a clock, you will be thrown back and forth, striking the ribs of matter and swinging between the 21 real and the unreal.

23 | 248:26–4

We must form perfect 27 models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and

Perfect models

noble lives. Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, 30 health, holiness, love — the kingdom of heaven — reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear. 1 Let us accept Science, relinquish all theories based on sense-testimony, give up imperfect models and illusive 3 ideals; and so let us have one God, one Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models of excellence.

24 | 298:2–4

Life, Truth, and Love are the realities of divine 3 Science. They dawn in faith and glow full-orbed in spiritual understanding.

blaspheme: dishonor; abuse; insult

virtue: moral excellence; goodnesssustains: supports; maintains

estimate: opinion; assessmenttranscendental: beyond the limits of

ordinary beliefself-abnegation: self-denial; unselfishness

doctrines: teachingsillusive: false; based on illusion; not real

full-orbed: brightly and fully illuminated

O

these words as the children of Israel prepare for a new beginning, leaving the wilderness to enter the Promised Land. He reminds them of

the covenant God made with their ancestors and therefore with them. Moses knows he will not enter the land with them, so he tells them to always choose God and keep Him in their hearts.

MOSES SPEAKS

Always be full of joy in the Lord.

I say it again—rejoice!

—Philippians 4:4 New Living Translation

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I’ll have perfect Spirit models, No more matter-based debacles.

Every moove I make will sizzle, And all limitations fizzle.

I’ll steer far away from sin; Knowing God as All, I’ll win!

HOLD THOUGHT STEADFASTLY

MOOVEThe


7

25 | 253:32–2

The divine demand, “Be ye therefore perfect,” is sci- 1 entific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable.

26 | 353:16–19 Perfection

Perfection

Superstition obsolete

underlies reality. Without perfection, nothing is wholly 18 real. All things will continue to disappear, until perfection appears and reality is reached.

27 | 272:6–8, 13–16, 29–30

6 In the soil of an “honest and good heart” the

Spirituality of Scripture

seed must be sown; else it beareth not much fruit, for the swinish element in human nature uproots it.

Jesus’ parable of “the sower” shows the care our Master took not to impart to dull ears and gross hearts 15 the spiritual teachings which dulness and grossness could not accept.

God is the divine Principle of all that repre- 30 sents Him and of all that really exists.

28 | 66:11

Spiritual development germi- 12 nates not from seed sown in the soil of material hopes, but when these decay, Love propagates anew the higher joys of Spirit, which have no taint of earth. Each suc- 15 cessive stage of experience unfolds new views of divine goodness and love.

29 | 295:11

Mortals are not like immortals, 12 created in God’s own image; but infinite Spirit being all, mortal consciousness will at last yield to the scientific fact and disappear, and the real sense of being, perfect and 15 forever intact, will appear.

30 | 17:14–15

For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over 15 all, and All.

21 | Psalms 50:1, 2, 7 I am

The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. 7 I am God, even thy God.

22 | Psalms 119:156 (to :), 161 my, 169 give

Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: 161 my heart standeth in awe of thy word. 169 give me understanding according to thy word.

23 | Luke 8:5–8 (to 1st .), 11–15

sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down,

and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

24 | Ephesians 4:7 unto, 13

unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:


trodden down: crushed under foot; stepped onfowls . . . it: birds ate it upindispensable: absolutely necessary; requiredunderlies: is the basis ofswinish: vulgar; gross; beastly; sensualgerminates: sprouts; growspropagates anew: freshly produces or multiplies taint: stain; trace

And the seeds

that fell on the good soil

represent honest, good-

hearted people who hear God’s

word, cling to it, and patiently

produce a huge harvest.

—Luke 8:15 New Living Translation

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A

I like it! That’s a very beefy goal. Through spiritual growth,

reality in all its perfection appears.

My goal is not just excellence in dance, but making all my thoughts and actions graceful . . . Christlike.

The

ClassKeeping

it real

DANCE


OR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, whenever I lost something, I would halfheartedly think to myself: “Well, nothing can ever be lost in God’s kingdom. God is always guiding

me and leading me in the right direction, so He will lead me to what I have lost.” Then I would look for the lost object, listening only to my own thoughts, turn up empty- handed, and come to the conclusion that praying to find lost items wasn’t reasonable and didn’t work. To comfort myself after losing something of importance or value, I would simply shrug it off, thinking that since Christian Science teaches we are all spiritual and there is actually no substance in matter or material things, losing an object didn’t really matter. However, I knew this thinking was not quite right and needed to be corrected.

During my freshman year of high school at Principia, a school for Christian Scientists, I finally had an opportunity to really under-stand that nothing is ever lost in God’s king-dom. A few days before the opening night of the school’s musical production, Crazy for You, I was in the lobby of the auditorium re-hearsing several of the dance numbers with my fellow dancers. I love to dance, and tap is my favorite. This performance was very important to me, as I had worked very hard for months to make it perfect.

As we got ready to go back into the au-ditorium, I noticed that the metal tap on my tap shoe had come loose, and the tiny screw that held it in place was missing. I got very worried since there were no other tap shoes that I could wear, no other screws small enough to fix the tap, and no time to order new shoes before opening night. What was I going to do?

However, as quickly as those anxious thoughts came to me, they were replaced by

the thought “pray about it.” At first, based on past experience, this seemed silly to me, and I wanted to ignore this angel message. Then the message came to me again, this time more firmly, so I was obedient and started to pray. The idea was familiar. It was, “Noth-ing is ever lost in God’s kingdom.” This time, the message was really strong and spoke to my heart. I began to reflect on the spiritual truths I had learned as a child, knowing that God is always guiding, guarding, and gov-erning me.

A verse from one of Mary Baker Eddy’s poems, which is also a hymn in the Christian

Science Hymnal, came to mind: Shepherd, show me how to go O’er the hillside steep, How to gather, how to sow,— How to feed Thy sheep; I will listen for Thy voice, Lest my footsteps stray; I will follow and rejoice All the rugged way. (Poems, p. 14)I knew that God was my Shepherd and

that He would lead me in the right direc-tion—I only needed to listen for His voice, not my own, and know that I could never stray from the right path, or the truth.

Another quote—this one from the Bi-ble—came to mind, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6). All I needed to do was fully and com-pletely trust God, and He would direct me to

a solution. I affirmed that there is only one Mind, God, and I am at one with that Mind. I couldn’t rely on worries, doubts, or even lean on my own understanding to guide me. Instead, I needed to trust in God and His law of har-mony.

As I prayed, I crouched down on the lobby floor and began to feel around with my hand. Within just a minute, I felt my hand roll over the tiny screw. I quickly picked it up, had my tap shoe fixed, and made it on stage to perform the dances, all the while praising God.

I am so grateful for this proof of God’s guidance and complete care. In Mary Baker Eddy’s poem “The Mother’s Evening Prayer,” she tells us, “… God is good, and loss is gain” (Poems, p. 4). I understand this so much better now since the lost-screw situation helped me gain a strong confidence in God’s ever-presence. I truly and absolutely know I can always trust in God because He is forever guiding me and leading me down just the right path. Through humble prayer and listening, I know I will always be guided to find what is good.

8

FRONT COVER PHOTO ATTRIBUTIONS:©Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Thinkstock: ballet, mod. ©Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Thinkstock: airborne, mod.©George Doyle/Stockbyte/Thinkstock: girl dancing, mod. ©George Doyle/Stockbyte/Thinkstock: guy dancing, mod.

All nonattributed graphics, photos, and digitally modified images by mBL staff.Pearl Hint: Look deep into realism.

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This article was originally published in the June 3, 2013 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.

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This time, the message . . . spoke to my heart.

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BIBLE INFO:TRANSLATIONS: All Scriptural quotations used in the text of myBibleLesson are taken from the King James Version of The Holy Bible, unless otherwise indicated.

The following are verbally equivalent translations used for In Other Words. These translations tend to use the oldest available and most recently discovered manuscripts to translate the literal meaning of the text word-for-word.Amplified Bible: Scriptural quotations marked Amplified Bible are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Contemporary English Version: Scriptural quotations marked Contemporary English Version are taken from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

New International Version: Scriptural quotations marked New International Version are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

New Revised Standard Version: Scriptural quotations marked New Revised Standard Version are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Revised English Bible: Scriptural quotations marked Revised English Bible are taken from the Revised English Bible © Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press 1989.

Revised Standard Version: Scriptural quotations marked Revised Standard Version are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The following dynamically equivalent translations are used for In Other Words. These translations attempt to convey the thoughts expressed in the text in common, everyday English.Good News Translation: Scriptural quotations marked Good News Translation are taken from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version—Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

New English Bible: Scriptural quotations marked New English Bible are taken from the New English Bible © Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970.

New International Reader’s Version: Scriptural quotations marked New International Reader’s Version are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®. Copyright 1996, 1998 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

New Living Translation: Scriptural quotations marked New Living Translation are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The following paraphrases are used for In Other Words. These are not literal translations, rather they attempt to present to modern readers the text’s tone, rhythm, and ideas as its earliest audiences might have experienced it.The Living Bible: Scriptural quotations marked The Living Bible are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message: Scriptural quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message, copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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