The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-03-24
Facing the Future

A N INTERESTING account in the
~ thirteenth chapter of the book
of Numbers relates the expert
ences of group of people who were
called upon by their leader to have
faith in their future. These people,
the Israelites, led by Moses had in
the course of their journey away
from the bondage in Egypt finally
reached the land of Canaan. Spies
were sent ahead to find out what
kind of land it was. They learned
MANY good things about it-that it
flowed with milk and honey" and
withal was place very much to be
desired. But one condition of the
land doomed up as fearful thing in
the eyes of the spies. "All the peo-
pie that we saw in it are men of a
great stature and we were In
our own sight as grasshoppers," they
reported.
How often we, too, belittle our ca
pacities and are Gin our own sight
as grasshoppers." And how much
better to recognize the truth clearly
stated on page 304 of Science and
Health with Key to the Scriptures"
by Mary Baker Eddy, namely this:
"Divine Principle is the Life of man.
Mans happiness is not, therefore, at
the disposal of physical sense"
The Israelites had experienced
Gods care for them many times in
their journey to the promised land.
They had seen the barrier of the i'm
passable sea before them and the
hordes of the armies of Pharaoh be-
hind them; but the sea had parted
and the armies had persisted. They
had been sustained with food and
clothing in the wilderness, and had
been kept free from disease, through
Gods ceaseless providence. They
had indeed proved that mans happi-
ness and well-being are not subject
to the whims of physical sense testi-
mony but are spiritual and spiritu-
ally maintained. But now, with the
end of their journey at hand, they
were doubling their further guidance
and protection.
The Israelites were not deserted.
Even in their beclouded sense of
things, when spiritual reality seemed
to them to be a distant unreality,
they were supplied with the help
that they needed at the moment.
They had Moses, the Law-giver.
Where they faltered, he upheld.
When they were afraid of the flu
ture, he treasured them with Gods
gracious promises until they were
able to say plumbers 14:4O), 90,
we be here, and will go up unto the
place which the Lord hath prom
ised." History records that they did
finally reach the land of Canaan and
receive the fruition of their labors.
Do we ever doubt what the future
holds for us, even though we have
seen ample evidence of divine guild
ance and divine protection? The
Bible designates God by many names,
but none carry more comfort to the
struggling heart than the name of
: Love. Divine Love, creative and sus-
tanning Principle, never forsakes
man. In Genesis we read, GOD saw
every thing that he had made, and,
behold, it was very good" Genesis
1870. 1t would be as impossible for
God, the divine Love that made all
good, including man, to cease His
care of man as for the principle of
mathematics eventually to withdraw
its support of the idea that two times
two equals four. 49,.
So today, with our future yet to
be drawn into the outlines of the
present, let us accept God as He is,
as divine Life, Truth, and Love, and
admit no other power or presence.
Let us heed the counsel of the Mas
ter, Christ Jesus John 1856,
''While we have light, believe in the
light, that we may be the children of
light" Let us recognize that God,
divine Love, guards us in all our ex-
periences and His hand is our steady
guide both now and ever. Sooner
or later we must accept this conclu-
sion; let us come to it early, yea, at
once. Then shall we find not only
the present good, but the future filled
with promise.-The Christian Science
MOnif0r