golden text how precious is your unfailing love, o god ... · pdf filehow precious is your...

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE QUARTERLY MYBIBLELESSON © 2014 THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING SOCIETY God the Preserver of Man Vi s i t myBibleLesson.com Dec. 8–14, 2014

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

Golden Text Psalms 36:7

. . . now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: 5 Fear not: for I am with thee: 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daugh-ters from the ends of the earth; 7 Even every one that is

called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. 10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. 12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.

2 0 1 4

®®

Christian Science Quarterly™ Dec. 8–14

SECTION ONE: God’s love, reflected by all, meets every human need. Page 2

SECTION TWO: It keeps you safe from temptation . . . Page 3

SECTION THREE: . . . protects you from danger . . . Page 4

SECTION FOUR: . . . strengthens you in challenging relationships . . . Page 5

SECTION FIVE: . . . and heals every belief in sickness. Page 6

SECTION SIX: Your relationship with divine Love is always secure. Page 7

The Golden Text is 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.

Responsive Reading Isaiah 43:1–3 now (to :), 5 (to 2nd :), 6, 7, 10–12

THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy1

2CHRISTIAN SCIENCE QUARTERLY MYBIBLELESSON © 2014 THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING SOCIETY God the Preserver of Man Vi s i t myBibleLesson.com Dec. 8–14, 2014

1 | 6:17–18

“God is Love.” More than this we cannot ask, 18 higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go.

2 | 444:10

Step by

Refuge and strength

step will those who trust Him find that “God is our refuge 12 and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

3 | 66:10

Trials are proofs of God’s care. 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.

4 | 471:13–19

The facts of divine Science should be admitted, — although the evidence as to these facts is not supported 15 by evil, by matter, or by material sense, — because the evidence that God and man coexist is fully sustained by spiritual sense. Man is, and forever has been, God’s re- 18 flection. God is infinite, therefore ever present, and there is no other power nor presence.

5 | 490:14

Human theories are helpless to make 15 man harmonious or immortal, since he is so

Theories helpless

already, according to Christian Science. Our only need is to know this and reduce to practice the real man’s di- 18 vine Principle, Love.

1 | Psalms 40:11 O Lord, 16

O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.

2 | Psalms 56:3

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

3 | Genesis 37:3, 4, 23, 24, 28 (to :)

ow Israel loved Joseph more than all his chil- dren, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. 23 And it came to pass when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver:

4 | Genesis 39:1, 3

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

merchantmen: people who buy and sell things in large amountsprosper: succeed; be strong; thrive; flourishgerminates: sprouts; develops; emerges; maturespropagates: spreads; promotes; breeds; growstaint: trace of something harmful, offensive or impure

MIDIANITES were one of the many tribes within a much larger tribal league known as Ishmeelites. They populated a

large area from the Euphrates River to the Red Sea. Eventually, the Midianites settled in the northwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Beginning with the Exodus from Egypt, there was ongoing contact with the Midianite and Israelite peoples. As both groups are named in the Joseph story, this may indicate he was sold more than once as these merchants worked their way along the well-known trade route covering this long distance.

How do you see “divine goodness and love” even in the middle of a day that seems to be going badly?

N

Classy coat!

You’re doing a great job! I’m glad I bought you.

GRRRRRR!

Throw him in.

Do you want to buy him?

Midianite merchant

I will buy this slave. Very good, O noble one.

Potiphar the Egyptian

Ishmeelite slave dealer


THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy26 | 231:16 (only), 20–25

God is not the author of mortal discords.

To hold yourself superior to sin, because God made 21 you superior to it and governs man, is true wisdom. To fear sin is to misunderstand the power of Love and the divine Science of being in man’s rela- 24 tion to God, — to doubt His government and

Superiority to sickness

and sin distrust His omnipotent care.

7 | 56:18–3

18 The commandment, “Thou shalt not com-

Fidelity required

mit adultery,” is no less imperative than the one, “Thou shalt not kill.” 1 Chastity is the cement of civilization and progress. Without it there is no stability in society, and without it 3 one cannot attain the Science of Life.

8 | 407:10

If man is not victorious over the passions, they crush out happiness, health, and manhood. Here Christian 12 Science is the sovereign panacea, giving strength to the weakness of mortal mind, — strength from the immortal and omnipotent Mind, — and lifting humanity above 15 itself into purer desires, even into spiritual power and good-will to man.

9 | 393:12–18

12 Rise in the strength of Spirit to resist all that is unlike good. God has made man capable of this, and nothing can vitiate the ability and power divinely bestowed on 15 man. Be firm in your understanding that the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God’s govern- 18 ment.

10 | 571:15–19

15 At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory 18 over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love,

The armor of divinity

human hatred cannot reach you.

5 | Psalms 25:2 (to :), 21

O my God, I trust in thee: 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

6 | Genesis 39:5 the Lord (to ;), 7–9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 20 (to :), 21

he Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; 7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. 8 But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; 9 There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wicked-ness, and sin against God? 11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 17 And she spake unto him, according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: 20 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: 21 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

integrity: virtue; strong moral principles; honor; characteruprightness: honorableness; goodnesswotteth: knowsimperative: all-important; essential; vital; crucialchastity: faithfulness; purity; celibacypanacea: cure for everything; universal remedyvitiate: undermine; make ineffective; impair; spoilpanoply: a complete collection of something; a full suit of armor

Hey, you’re cute.

The master trusts me with all he has—but you, as his wife, are off-limits.

Joseph, you’re a good prisoner.

I will help you.

tHey, I got your tunic !

Joseph—to jail !

Potiphar could have had Joseph killed because of this accusation. That would have been the expected legal action.

Calvin C. Hill asked Mary Baker Eddy for help in “overcom[ing] the thought of lust and sensuality.” To read her response, see We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Expanded Edition, Vol. 1, pp. 338–343. In the same book on p. 109, Laura E. Sargent shares some of Eddy’s comments on sin.

In what ways can you use your good thinking and acting to overcome evil?


THE BIBLE Section SCIENCE and HEALTH with Key to the Scriptures | Mary Baker Eddy37 | Proverbs 2:6 the, 11

the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, under-standing shall keep thee:

8 | Genesis 41:1 (to :), 14 (to :), 15, 16, 29, 30, 39, 40, 46 (to 1st .), 48 (to :), 54

nd it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed:

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: 15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Foras-much as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. 48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: 54 And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

11 | 84:11–18

It is the prerogative of the ever-present, divine Mind, and 12 of thought which is in rapport with this Mind, to know the past, the present, and the future. Acquaintance with the Science of being enables us to 15 commune more largely with the divine Mind, to foresee and foretell events which concern the universal welfare, to be divinely inspired, — yea, to reach the range of fetter- 18 less Mind.

12 | 259:26

Immortal 27 ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine 30 concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious results.

13 | 7:23 The

The “di- 24 vine ear” is not an auditory nerve. It is the all-hearing and all-knowing Mind, to whom each need of man is always known and by whom it will be supplied.

14 | 95:6–13

6 We approach God, or Life, in proportion to our spirituality, our fidelity to Truth and Love; and in that ratio we know all 9 human need and are able to discern the thought of the sick and the sinning for the purpose of healing them. Error of any kind cannot hide from the law of God. 12 Whoever reaches this point of moral culture and goodness cannot injure others, and must do them good.

15 | 180:25–27

When man is governed by God, the ever-present Mind who understands all things, man knows that with 27 God all things are possible.

discretion: good judgment; privateness; carefulnessdungeon: prisoninterpret: explain the meaning of; clarify; illuminatefamine: severe shortage of fooddearth: shortage; lack; deficiency; absencerapport: agreement; harmonyacquaintance: experience; familiarity; connectioncommune: communicate in a very personal or spiritual wayfetterless: boundless; limitless; freeauditory: relating to the sense of hearingfidelity: faithfulness; loyalty; constancy; allegiance; accuracyratio: the number of times one value contains, or is contained in, another; proportion; relationship; comparison discern: recognize something difficult to see or understand; detect; notice; observe

I dreamed a dream. Can you tell me what it means?

ASeven years

of good crops, then seven

years of bad crops.

You are wise. I’ve got a job for you.

Good thing we stocked up

on wheat. Bread for all.

For the Lord grants wisdom! His every word is a treasure of knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6—The Living Bible

How did Joseph express “fetterless Mind”? How do you express it?

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


416 | 530:5–6

In divine Science, man is sustained by God, the divine 6 Principle of being.

17 | 192:30

30 Whatever holds human thought in line with unselfed love, receives directly the divine power.

18 | 518:15–19

15 The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same

Assistance in brotherhood

Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth 18 his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.

19 | 57:22

Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, en- 24 larging, purifying, and elevating it. The wintry blasts of earth may uproot the flowers of affec-

Help and discipline

tion, and scatter them to the winds; but this severance 27 of fleshly ties serves to unite thought more closely to God, for Love supports the struggling heart until it ceases to sigh over the world and begins to unfold its wings for 30 heaven.

20 | 469:30–5

30 With 1 one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, 3 the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science.

21 | 276:4–9

When the divine precepts

Universal brotherhood

are understood, they unfold the foundation of fellowship, 6 in which one mind is not at war with another, but all have one Spirit, God, one intelligent source, in accordance with the Scriptural command: “Let this Mind be in you, 9 which was also in Christ Jesus.”

9 | Genesis 42:1–3, 8, 25

ow when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said, Behold, I have

heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 3 And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man’s money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them.

10 | Genesis 43:2

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

11 | Genesis 45:1, 4, 5

Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

12 | Genesis 50:20 ye

ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

provision: supplies including foodway: journeygrieved: distressed; sorrowful; sad

preserve: keep something in its original state; keep safe; maintain; conserve; protectvainly: unprofitably; unproductively; ineffectivelyenriches: improves; enhances; betterselevating: raising to a higher level; lifting up; promoting; advancingwintry: cold; harsh; cheerlessblasts: heavy gusts; explosive or extreme periods in a stormseverance: ending of any kind of relationship; cutting off; separationconsist of: be made up of; be formed of; be composed offellowship: friendly association with others of similar interests or purposes; friendship

May we buy some wheat,

O honored Egyptian?

Wow ! We got wheat— and our money back.

three Cheers

for Joseph, who

listened to God!The word “corn” is an ancient word meaning grain. Though different countries associate specific grains with this word, like maize in the United States, and oats or barley in dif-ferent parts of Great Britain, corn is a generic term. In the King James Version of the Bible, it usually refers to barley or wheat.

N

May we buy more wheat?

Yes, my brothers.

If relationships with family or friends get hard, make sure you are expressing as much love and truth from God as you can.

You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing. Genesis 50:20—Contemporary English Version



22 | 333:9–13, 19–26

9 Christ expresses God’s spiritual, eternal nature. The name is synonymous with Messiah, and al- ludes to the spirituality which is taught, illustrated, and 12 demonstrated in the life of which Christ Jesus was the embodiment.

Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spirit-

The divine Principle and idea

21 ual idea, — the reflection of God, — has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth. Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets 24 caught glorious glimpses of the Messiah, or Christ, which baptized these seers in the divine nature, the essence of Love.

23 | 494:5–9

Is it not a species of infidelity to believe that so great 6 a work as the Messiah’s was done for himself or for God, who needed no help from Jesus’ example to preserve the eternal harmony? But mortals

Inexhaustible divine Love

9 did need this help, and Jesus pointed the way for them.

24 | 410:29–30

Christian scientific practice be- 30 gins with Christ’s keynote of harmony, “Be not afraid!”

25 | 384:5–9

Let us reassure 6 ourselves with the law of Love. God never

Corporeal penalties

punishes man for doing right, for honest labor, or for deeds of kindness, though they expose him to fatigue, 9 cold, heat, contagion.

26 | 376:18–27

18 Because the so-called material body is a mental concept and governed by mortal mind, it manifests only what that so-called

Remedy for fever

21 mind expresses. Therefore the efficient remedy is to destroy the patient’s false belief by both silently and au- dibly arguing the true facts in regard to harmonious 24 being, — representing man as healthy instead of diseased, and showing that it is impossible for matter to suffer, to feel pain or heat, to be thirsty or sick. Destroy fear, 27 and you end fever.

27 | 412:13

The power of Christian Science and

Eloquent silence

divine Love is omnipotent. It is indeed adequate to un- 15 clasp the hold and to destroy disease, sin, and death.

13 | Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.

14 | Mark 6:34

nd Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was

moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

15 | Luke 12:6, 7

Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

16 | Matthew 8:14, 15

And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and minis- tered unto them.

17 | Jude 1:1 to, 2

to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and pre- served in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 Mercy unto you, and peace and love, be multiplied.

5

A type of sparrow

What does the Bible mean, “the very hairs of your head

are all numbered”?

7,801 . . . 7,802 . . .

It means that in God’s sight,

we count!

A

compassion: a feeling of pity and concern for the sufferings of others; sensitivity; tenderness; charity

farthings: coins worth a quarter of a pennysanctified: made holy by God; consecrated; hallowed; blessed; approved

synonymous: equal in meaning; interchangeable; identicalalludes to: refers to; hints at; suggests; implies

glimpses: brief views; discernmentsspecies: class of individuals or things having some common

characteristics or qualities; type; kindinfidelity: breaking of a sacred promise; disloyalty; unfaithfulness

reassure: actively remove doubts and fears from one’s self or others; encourage; hearten fatigue: the inability to perform at one’s best; tiredness; wearinessmanifests: makes obvious; makes clear; makes evidentefficient: productive; effectiveaudibly: with sound; clearly; distinctlyeloquent: articulate; expressive; meaningfuladequate: sufficient; acceptable in quality or quantity



28 | 232:7

Security for the claims of harmonious and eternal being is found only in divine Science.

29 | 410:14–20

Every trial of our faith in God makes us stronger. 15 The more difficult seems the material condition to be overcome by Spirit, the stronger should be our faith and the purer our love. The Apostle

Love casteth out fear

18 John says: “There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love casteth out fear. . . . He that feareth is not made perfect in Love.”

30 | 304:9

9 This is the doctrine of Christian Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into 12 sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind nor life result in death. The perfect man — governed 15 by God, his perfect Principle — is sinless and eternal.

31 | 224:29–31 (to 2nd .)

The 30 power of God brings deliverance to the cap- tive. No power can withstand divine Love.

Mental emancipation

18 | I John 4:18 (to :)

here is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:

19 | Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

20 | Psalms 121:8

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

6

prosper: be successful; thrive; wincondemn: completely disapprove of; censure; criticize; denounce; berateheritage: inheritance; birthright; personal backgroundharmonious: peaceful; undisturbedmanifestation: display; demonstration; exampledeliverance: freedom; salvation; liberation; rescuecaptive: prisoner; confined; caged; enslaved; trappedwithstand: resist; oppose; defy

No matter how strange or scary the situation, you’re safe

because of your oneness with God.

The power of divine

Love brings freedom

from fear.

Love really can heal hatred. Read one example in Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer,

Amplified Edition by Yvonne Caché von Fettweis and Robert Townsend Warneck, pp. 369–370.

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He will protect you as you come and go now and forever.Psalms 121:8—Good News Translation

HE FIRST DAY OF WINTER BREAK was also the first snow of the season. I woke up to see the

ground covered in white. Anyone knows that this is a most exciting way to wake up!

I had a list of errands I needed to run, and as I got ready, I saw a text from my mom reminding me to drive carefully. Without thinking much of it, I walked out to the car. As I scraped the snow off the windows, I realized that this was going to be my first time driving alone in snow.

The snow wasn’t too deep, though, so I felt OK about setting out. As I started, driv-ing safely wasn’t a problem. But then as I made my first turn from the neighborhood to the main road, I felt my back tires slid-ing on the pavement. It was nothing big, but I began driving more slowly. Then, as I came up around the first roundabout, I found that I couldn’t stop. I had my brakes on but was still sliding at the same speed I had been driving. Without thinking twice, I pulled the handbrake and was able to re-gain control. I stopped before entering the roundabout and collected my thoughts, feeling grateful that I had been open to that angel message to pull the handbrake. In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scrip-tures, Mary Baker Eddy describes angels as “God’s thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; ...” (p. 581)—and I was thankful that I’d been led by this spiritual intuition to respond appropriately.

I continued driving for about ten min-utes and came to a stoplight at a big inter-section. Right at the stop line there was a slight uphill incline, covered in ice. I pulled up as the first car in line and waited for the light to turn green. When it turned, I took my foot off the brake and began to push the acceleration pedal. I could feel my tires spinning underneath me. I could not get

any traction on the ice. The light turned red again, the line of cars behind me began to pile up, and I started to feel afraid.

I once again turned my thinking to God, affirming the truth that I was being led by spiritual intuition to be just where I needed to be, and guided to do what-ever I needed to do. I sat through the red light redirecting the fear by focusing on how loving and patient the woman behind me had been waiting through the green light. When I looked in my rearview mirror the woman was relaxed and seemed to understand that I was doing what I could in the situation. I was so grateful that she had not been honking angrily, and that we both recognized the need to be calm and collected in order to get our cars moving forward.

Through the endless red light I turned off my radio and began singing Hymn 95 from the Chris-tian Science Hymnal, which has the refrain: “He leadeth me, He leadeth me, / By His own hand He leadeth me” (Joseph H. Gilmore). I focused on understanding that I would be led to do what I needed to do to drive safely through the snow and ice. When the light

turned green it was still a struggle to move forward, but I kept repeat-ing, “God is love”! This quote from I John 4:8 kept me calm and focused, and helped me to affirm that I was

protected, loved, and inspired by God in every situation. As the light turned yellow, I felt traction and the car moved through the intersection. When the woman behind me passed by, she gave me a supportive smile.

I did my errands without problems, and as I drove slowly home, I continued to talk out loud, stating the spiritual qualities that I knew a road expressed. A road is firm, sturdy, supportive, substantial, and stable.

I was being obedient to God’s direction, so I didn’t need to fear that these qualities could be hidden or taken away.

I kept this spiritual focus the rest of the way, and made it home safely. Now I’m more thoughtful about setting out in slippery conditions—but every time I’m driving, I remember that nothing can negate God’s care for me and everyone. I should add that this lesson has held true whenever I’ve encountered “slip-pery conditions” off the road, too!

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE QUARTERLY MYBIBLELESSON © 2014 THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING SOCIETY God the Preserver of Man Vi s i t myBibleLesson.com Dec. 8–14, 2014

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All nonattributed graphics, photos, and digitally modified images by mBL staff.

Pearl Hint: Nothing can enslave you.

BY KATHERINE

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I COLLECTED MY THOUGHTS, FEELING GRATEFUL THAT I HAD BEEN OPEN TO THAT ANGEL MESSAGE TO PULL THE HANDBRAKE.

This article was originally published in the January 27, 2014 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.

You can find this piece (and thousands more!) at jsh.christianscience.com.

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“BC” stands for before Christ and refers to dates before the birth of Jesus. “AD” stands for anno domini, which is a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of the Lord” in reference to Jesus. All dates labeled “AD” happened after Jesus’s birth.

BIBLICAL DATES:

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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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