mybiblelesson The Lord bless you, and keep you;... The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.

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1 mybiblelesson Christian Science Quarterly Dec GOD THE PRESERVER O F M A N Golden Text Numbers 6:24, 26 Responsive Reading Psalms 34:7, 8; Isaiah 54:10 14, 17 The Lord bless you, and keep you;... The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, Says the Lord, who has mercy on you. 11 O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, And all your walls of precious stones. 13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children. 14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. 17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me, Says the Lord. The Golden Text and Responsive Reading are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Section One: Trust God to keep you safe. Page 2 Section Two: God shows His life-preserving love in practical ways. Page 3 Section Three: Thought focused on Truth and Love restores health. Page 4 Section Four: Love impels peace in relationships. Page 5 Section Five: Love preserves respect and cooperation between nations. Page 6 Section Six: Healing is pure proof of God s preserving power. Page 7 God the Preserver of Man

2 1 1 Psalms 121:8 T he Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. 2 Psalms 91:1 4 (to :), 10, 11 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 3 Isaiah 40:10, 11 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. 4 Jeremiah 17:7, 8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. SHEPHERDING, especially with God as a Shepherd of His people, is a common metaphor that s repeated throughout the Bible. Shepherding was, and still is, a prevalent occupation in the Middle East. Isaiah 40:10 11 describes what being a good shepherd entails. TRUSTFUL TRAVEL A bit later That s right he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards. Psalms 91:3 The Message 1 530:5 6 In divine Science, man is sustained by God, the divine 6 Principle of being :4 Father-Mother is the name for Deity, which indicates His tender relationship to His spiritual creation. 6 As the apostle expressed it in words which he quoted with approbation from a classic poet: Father- Mother For we are also His offspring :8 All nature teaches God s 9 love to man, but man cannot love God supremely and set his whole affections on spiritual things, while loving the material or trusting in it more than in the spiritual. 4 78:28 Spirit blesses man, but man cannot tell whence it cometh. By it the sick are healed, the sorrowing are 30 comforted, and the sinning are reformed. These are the effects of one universal God, the invisible good dwelling in eternal Science :8 Spirit is symbolized by strength, presence, and power, 9 and also by holy thoughts, winged with Love. These angels of His presence, which have the holiest Seraphic charge, abound in the spiritual atmosphere of symbols 12 Mind, and consequently reproduce their own characteristics. Their individual forms we know not, but we do know that their natures are allied to God s nature; and 15 spiritual blessings, thus typified, are the externalized, yet subjective, states of faith and spiritual understanding. 6 vii:1 2 1 To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings. approbation: approval; support charge: mission; responsibility abound: exist in abundance typified: represented; symbolized externalized: expressed in a clearly visible way subjective: individual; personal STOP MONDAY, DECEMBER 9 Border Guards: See them as divine Order Guards who express divine Principle. Wow! Thinking this way makes travel much less of a hassle, and much more fun! Wish you were here! GRAHAM BOULDING God the Preserver of Man 2

3 2 5 Psalms 116:1, 5, 6 I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 6 The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. S 6 Genesis 21:9 21 Sarah arah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham s sight because of his son. 12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. 14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer sheba. 15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. 7 Proverbs 3:5, 6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Son, remind me to update my relationship status to it s complicated! Hagar s son, Ishmael, had 12 sons who populated the northern and western sides of the Arabian peninsula. For location of Beer sheba and the wilderness of Paran, see map in Section 3. BIBLE IN PIC. AND STORY, MOD :10 14 ABRAHAM. Fidelity; faith in the divine Life and in the eternal Principle of being. 12 This patriarch illustrated the purpose of Love to create trust in good, and showed the life-preserving power of spiritual understanding. 8 70: The divine Mind maintains all identities, from a blade of grass to a star, as distinct and eternal :6 (only), 26 6 In divine Science, man is the true image of God. 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 : The footsteps of thought, rising above material standpoints, are slow, and portend a long night to the traveller; but the angels of His presence the spiritual 12 intuitions that tell us when the night is far spent, the day is at hand are our guardians in the gloom. Rise of thought :9 9 With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its joys. Angels 12 are God s representatives. These upward-soaring beings never lead towards self, sin, or materiality, but guide to the divine Principle of all good, whither every real indi- 15 viduality, image, or likeness of God, gathers. By giving earnest heed to these spiritual guides they tarry with us, and we entertain angels unawares. Our angelic messengers bondwoman: female slave fidelity: faithfulness; loyalty patriarch: founding father of a nation ( in this case, Abraham) heed: attention; regard tarry: stay; remain Snap this sweet pic... Wait for it Now!! CHOMP! THE WORD PARAN probably comes from a Hebrew word meaning to beautify or to glorify. The Israelites wandered the wilderness of Paran before entering the Promised Land. The Paran plateau consists of dry, barren terrain that doesn t get much rain. material standpoints spiritual intuitions God the Preserver of Man 3

4 3 8 Mark 1:14 Jesus, 15 J esus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 9 Mark 3:1 5 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 10 Mark 6:56 And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. involves refraining from all work and some Jews believed that healing was work, so it should be prohibited on the Sabbath. Jesus corrected this misinterpretation in Mark 3:4. He focused on the true meaning of the Sabbath commandment honoring the Sabbath includes doing good, and healing is always good. Jesus didn t annul the law or tell people to ignore it. He showed them its higher meaning, so they could see what it does and does not apply to. EGYPT Nile River KEEPING THE SABBATH holy Mediterranean Sea GALILEE. ISRAEL Jerusalem. Beer sheba Wilderness of Paran secretions: bodily fluids ankylosed: stiff; inflexible supple: flexible; able to be bent with ease carious: decayed organic: involving or affecting organs of the body Traveling gives me so many opportunities to affirm that God is governing me. I think about that whenever I have a free moment as I go about my day. Such a peaceful thought! :23 24, The divine Mind that made man 24 maintains His own image and likeness. All that really exists is the divine Mind and 27 its idea, and in this Mind the entire being is found harmonious and eternal :30 30 Sickness, sin, and death are not the fruits of Life. They are inharmonies which Truth destroys. Perfection does not animate imperfection. Inasmuch as God is 1 good and the fount of all being, He does not produce moral or physical deformity; therefore such deformity is 3 not real, but is illusion, the mirage of error. Divine Science reveals these grand facts. On their basis Jesus demonstrated Life, never 6 fearing nor obeying error in any form. Deformity and perfection :16 25 Working out the rules of Science in practice, the author has re- 18 stored health in cases of both acute and chronic disease in their severest forms. Secretions have been changed, the structure has been renewed, shortened limbs have been 21 elongated, ankylosed joints have been made supple, and carious bones have been restored to healthy conditions. I have restored what is called the lost substance of lungs, and 24 healthy organizations have been established where disease was organic :20 Let Christian Science, 21 instead of corporeal sense, support your understanding of being, and this understanding will supplant error with Truth, replace mortality with immortality, and silence dis- 24 cord with harmony :2 Look away from the body into Truth and Love, Thoughts 3 the Principle of all happiness, harmony, and are things immortality. Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these 6 into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts. God the Preserver of Man 4

5 ALLAN ROWE 4 A 11 Luke 8: :30 nd it came to pass, that, when Jesus was 30 Whatever holds human thought in line with unselfed returned, the people gladly received him: for love, receives directly the divine power. they were all waiting for him :22 12 Luke 10:25 28 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 13 Matthew 18:21, 22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 14 I John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. oft: often quicken me: restore my life; revive me unselfed: taking no consideration for oneself hinders: blocks; obstructs solvent: that which dissolves something else adamant: (from the name of a stone once considered to be unbreakable) stubbornness; willfulness confers upon: gives or grants to When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded; 24 whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man s normal drift towards the one Mind, one Redemption from selfishness God, and leads human thought into opposite channels 27 where selfishness reigns : 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 :15 In 15 In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant 18 of error, self-will, self-justification, and self-love, which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death. 15 Psalms 119:159 quicken, 165 quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness. 165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. 3 Man understands spiritual existence in proportion as his treasures of Truth and Love are enlarged :3 5, 10 Godward gravitation This scientific sense of being, forsaking matter for Spirit, by no means suggests man s absorption into Deity 12 and the loss of his identity, but confers upon man enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent 15 peace. If you think of everyone you see today as your brother or sister, how will that affect how you interact with them? Try it! This is going to be a peaceful, Love-filled vacation. Nothing any family member can say or do is going to annoy me. Good idea, Sis! The loving way is the right way. inmymind jen totallyfocused goal a stress-free holiday. i m focusing not on myself & what i want, but on what i can do for others. Helping heals! 3 minutes ago Road Home 15 seconds ago God the Preserver of Man 5

6 5 16 Psalms 67:1, 2 God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. J 17 John 12:44 esus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 18 Matthew 5:43 45 (to :) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: 19 Luke 7:2 10 And a certain centurion s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: 5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. 6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: 7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. A centurion was a Roman commanding officer in charge of approximately 100 soldiers :18 Universal 18 Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science : It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact 12 becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established :5 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 9 did need this help, and Jesus pointed the way for them. Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demon- 12 strated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good. Inexhaustible divine Love :23 One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; con- 24 stitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, Love thy neighbor as thyself; annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, whatever is wrong in 27 social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed. MATTHEW records the Sermon on the Mount, which includes these verses (see Matthew 5 7 for the entire Sermon). Jesus spoke to his twelve newly appointed disciples, other students, and a crowd that had been following him at that time. species of infidelity: kind of disloyalty; type of unfaithfulness I couldn t get my police report... so frustrating. Then I switched my attitude... and things began to change. To read how things worked out for Kateland in Syria, check out the testimony on pages 8 and 9. God the Preserver of Man 6

7 6 20 Psalms 16:1, 9 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. T 21 John 8:12 (to :) hen spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: 22 John 14:11, 16, 17 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you :25 26 Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God :1 1 Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing. He taught 3 his followers that his religion had a divine The Principle, which would cast out error and heal Christ-mission both the sick and the sinning. He claimed no intelli- 6 gence, action, nor life separate from God. Despite the persecution this brought upon him, he used his divine power to save men both bodily and spiritually :25 The truths of immortal Mind sustain man, and they annihilate the fables of mortal mind, whose flimsy and gaudy 27 pretensions, like silly moths, singe their own wings and fall into dust. 23 John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. ANGIE S BLOG: Spiritual growth l needed to get home. Flying in a small, sketchy plane was not my idea of fun and at first l was really scared! But then, during the flight, l got really still and l thought about God s love His amazing preserving power. Then l got my peace, and actually enjoyed the rest of my flight. Now l m home, safe and sound just like l was during the whole trip! God is so good. With Love, from places far and wide! 29 55: Truth s immortal idea is sweeping down the centuries, gathering beneath its wings the sick and sinning. My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall 18 recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself, when he shall realize God s omnipotence and the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done 21 and is doing for mankind. The promises will be fulfilled. The time for the reappearing of the divine healing is throughout all time; and whosoever layeth his earthly 24 all on the altar of divine Science, drinketh of Christ s cup now, and is endued with the spirit and power of Christian healing. 27 In the words of St. John: He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. This Comforter I understand to be Divine Science :10 Through divine Science, Spirit, God, unites understanding to eternal harmony. The calm and exalted 12 thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace. Thus the dawn of ideas goes on, forming each Exalted thought successive stage of progress. bounty: abundant supply annihilate: destroy; exterminate; eradicate; obliterate flimsy: weak; foolish; unconvincing gaudy: boastful, showy, vain, and tasteless pretensions: false appearances or claims of selfimportance singe: (pronounced sinj ) scorch; burn; sear apprehension: understanding God the Preserver of Man 7

8 I saw God s grace in By Kateland COURTESY PHOTO BOUT A YEAR AGO, I received a good lesson in the necessity of wholeheartedly trusting my life to God, while traveling alone overseas. I was living in Damascus, studying Arabic, when protesting and the initial uprising broke out across Syria. I was excited to be in Syria and loved my time there. My home-stay family was incredibly loving and generous. My language school was challenging, yet my tutors were fun. Old Damascus, where I was living, offered gorgeous old architecture and bustling markets; and I loved walking around the Old City, seeing many places referenced in the Bible. However, after violent protests broke out in the southern city of Deraa (about 60 miles south of Damascus), my family and friends in the United States became concerned about my safety and urged me to come home. Having been in the region for almost six months during the Arab Spring, I knew that God s provision of safety, love, freedom, security, and joy existed in each and every one of the many Middle Eastern countries I had visited. Surely infinite and omnipotent Love could not be contained by or limited to certain geographical borders. I decided to call on the help of a Christian Science practitioner to support me. When I initially called him, I felt confused and in desperate need of direction. Leaving Syria was a complicated matter. Flights out of the country were also becoming difficult and very expensive to book. The practitioner helped me realize that confusion is the subtlest of the carnal mind s tricks. When we feel either confused or discouraged, it can seem difficult to know which is the next step to take. Yet it is immensely reassuring to know that God s plan is always in motion, always becoming perfectly apparent, and that we are all an essential component of divine Love s creation. The practitioner was utterly unimpressed by my descriptions of the security situation in Syria. He stated with confidence that there would be a clear answer. I tried to open my thought to be willing to do whatever God wanted me to do, even if that meant flying straight home a very disappointing prospect at the time. One Friday, I was told that the violence could reach the outskirts of Damascus and that small protests could take place near the Old City. However, later that afternoon, a sudden and intense In that moment of chaos, I reached out to God in prayer. hailstorm kept everyone inside, and the day passed in peace. The practitioner pointed out that hail is referenced many times in the Bible, in Exodus, Job, and Psalms, as a form of protection. I realized that I had tangible instances every day to be grateful for of divine Love s care. I decided to take a bus from Damascus to Beirut, Lebanon, the following Monday. I was to stay with some American friends, who kindly agreed to put me up and help me get settled in an Arabic program there. The day before I was scheduled to leave Damascus, I did some final shopping and sightseeing. As I was touring one site, I was surrounded and then harassed by a group of young men. As I tried to defend myself, my backpack was taken from me. It contained my passport and wallet. I was at a holy site, too, so I had removed my shoes and put them in my backpack before it was stolen. I had no way of even walking back to my host family s home. I became very afraid of how I was going to function with no money and no identifica- tion, let alone leave the country. In that moment of chaos, I reached out to God in prayer: Father-Mother, I really need some help. I can t do this alone. Immediately my prayer was answered. Many loving and compassionate people surrounded me and offered their help (which is what I found to be a common trait in every Syrian I met a people that is generous, friendly, and loving). Two gentlemen nearby had noticed the incident of my being harassed and came rushing over to ask me if I was OK. Another man noticed I had no shoes and quickly took off into the market to buy me a pair. Others reported the incident to the nearby officials. Still more told me that Syrians do not steal and that it is not in their nature to harm foreigners. I saw all this as a declaration of who the real man really is, as God made him to be. I assured them that I loved being in Syria and that my experience with Syrians had always involved my being taken care of in some way. And then a few minutes later, the man who had rushed off to the market returned, beaming, with a pair of bright pink, sparkling sandals. They fit perfectly, and he smiled at me as he said in broken English, I picked this color especially for you. Two other men offered money for a cab home, but the shoes were just what I needed. From an Internet cafe, I was able to Skype the practitioner and ask for additional support. It so happened that I had planned to have dinner that night with a Senior Foreign Service Officer (FSO) from the US Embassy, whom I knew of through a mutual friend. She, too, turned out to be a perfect example of the immediacy and ever-presence of God s angels ministering to us. Continued on next page God the Preserver of Man 8

9 I couldn t get my police report... so frustrating. The FSO insisted that I stay in her gorgeous home on the well-to-do side of the city, where I would be protected by Embassy security. She took me to the Embassy the next morning to help me get an emergency passport issued. I I had the opportunity to be a healer in this situation of conflict by holding my thought in line with unselfed love. ended up staying with her for almost two weeks while my passport and exit visa documents were processed. During this time, the protests were ramping up, and the coming Friday was to be a Day of Rage in Damascus. I was having trouble getting the Syrian police to issue a report of my passport s theft, a report I needed to take to the immigration office in order to acquire a temporary visa. And I needed the visa in order to leave the country safely and not risk being detained at the border. I had been warned about the police. Syria is a police state that had operated under emergency law for decades, meaning that Syrians were prone to arbitrary arrests, restriction of the media, invasion of privacy, and bans on any political protesting. The police had complete autonomy, and I could be detained, imprisoned, or flat out denied a visa with no cause. As I spent two days going in and out of three different police offices and the immigration office in Damascus, the main idea I held to was, Whatever holds human thought in line with unselfed love, receives directly the divine power (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 192). Many police officers told me I could not get a report because I was not a citizen of Syria. Others told me that even if I did get the report, I would never get the immigration office to issue a temporary visa. I kept clinging to the fact that God s law of harmony was there operating. I knew that God is omnipotent good. Therefore, the only power that exists is goodness. I had the opportunity to reflect that power and goodness right then, by being a healer in this situation of conflict by holding my thought in line with unselfed love. After two days of going in and out of the police offices, feeling wrapped up in my problem of how I was going to leave the country, and frustrated at the police officials, I made a change in my thinking. Instead of feeling discouraged, I chose to love each and every individual with whom I came in contact. I knew the good that I did would bless those around me, who certainly needed love right then. I needed to see every person Then I switched my attitude... and things began to change. around me as pure, perfect, safe, and never in any danger. As a result of this change in perspective, I made friends with the Damascus deputy chief of police. He was a tall, friendly man who was one of the only policemen I met who spoke much English. When I met him, instead of immediately voicing my concern and demanding a police report, which had been my strategy over the past two days, I asked him about his family, his life in Syria, and how his day was going. He told me that to get my police report, I needed to recite to the police general in Arabic exactly how my bag had been stolen. He then taught me how to say this in Arabic, and he also convinced his boss that I really needed their help. Soon, I got a signed copy of my police report. And within three hours, I had cleared the immigration office and secured a temporary visa. I found a cheap flight to Amman, Jordan, that was scheduled to leave at 5:00 a.m. that Friday the planned Day of Rage. My friend from the Embassy arranged a taxi to take me to the airport very early that morning, and it was smooth sailing all the way there. After I had left the country, my friend told me that roadblocks and checkpoints had been set up later that morning on the highway on the way to the airport. Yet I was completely protected and able to fly to Jordan, and then later I got a ticket home. I am most sincerely grateful for the conviction I ve found that God s grace for each of us is always a given. His plan is always in motion. We are never without an answer. We never have to be confusedly distracted by fear. And when I think of Syria and those living there now, I know that God s law of protection, love, care, and guidance, which defined my experience in the country, is still operating. It is so important that we not be duped by what we see or hear about Syria, whether it be injustice, brutality, or violence. I witnessed firsthand the powerful transformation that occurs when one s focus is shifted from doubt to trust, from fear to a hopeful and confident expectancy of good. God loves each of us so much, and He protects us because we are each an absolutely essential part of the evolving of good that is God s plan. Adapted from The Christian Science Journal, July For the whole article, visit time4thinkers.com/i-saw-god s-grace-in-syria. we have hidden an image of a pearl [ ] somewhere in the pages of mybiblelesson. happy pearl hunting! FRONT COVER PHOTO LOCATION: Mount Rainier, Washington, USA All nonattributed graphics, photos, and digitally modified images by mbl staff. Pearl Hint: What time is it? Contact us! Want to send us feedback? Submit a photo? Go to mybiblelesson.com for details. God the Preserver of Man 9

10 mybiblelesson INFO PAGE we d love to hear from you! mybiblelesson is for you! So send us your feedback on how it s helping you get more out of the Bible Lesson when you study. We want to know what s working... and what s not! We also love to publish your photos and artwork whenever they work well with the lesson ideas. If you d like to contribute, contact us at staff@mybiblelesson.com for details. 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. MAWUENA DAVIES 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. ( 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 Revised Standard Version: Scriptural quotations marked Revised Standard Version are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2 nd 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, 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 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 Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 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, Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. BIBLICAL DATES: bc stands for before Christ, which is the English translation of a Latin phrase referring to the birth of Jesus. All dates labeled bc happened before Jesus s birth. 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. Join online discussions time4thinkers.com welcomes young people to meet like-minded thinkers and feel the support of a global church community. Come explore our blogs, podcasts, discussions, and live events. 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