Divine Love’s Provision

It had been snowing all night, and in the morning a white mantle several inches deep covered the ground. For some days the sparrows had been enjoying a feast of crumbs, continually replenished, placed on the rail of the veranda outside the kitchen door. On this particular morning the rail was covered with four inches of snow, but one lonely sparrow had made a small passage through the snow and was feeding with evident enjoyment ruffling his feathers in the keen morning air. Some others joined him, and they all helped themselves liberally.

Probably these sparrows had been there before. This morning, however, there was no evidence of crumbs, as the snow had concealed them; but the sparrows, obedient to the divine intelligence that guides and governs all unerringly, had not accepted the outward evidence of lack, and had found the feast that was awaiting them. In watching the sparrows at their morning repast, the writer was reminded of the fact made clear in Christian Science, that divine Love protects and lovingly provides for His entire creation. The incident brought him crumbs of comfort, because God’s goodness was being graphically proved. The words of Christ Jesus came back to memory: “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

How comforting is the assurance that divine Love bountifully provides for His highest idea, as well as for all His lesser ideas! In some instances, according to human sense, there may be apparent a lack of those things considered necessary in human experience — food, raiment, a reasonable supply of money. In other instances, where these supplies are ample, there is still the need of spiritual understanding, a better knowledge of God and His Christ, which is, indeed, as Christ Jesus said, “life eternal.” Whatever the need may be, divine Love supplies it. If in one’s experience money is abundant, there may be just as great a need to understand spiritual reality as in the experience of another where money appears to be lacking. At all times clear spiritual vision is needed. When supplies are abundant, do we turn in gratitude to God as the Giver of all Good? Do we see that we are wholly dependent on God for all that we are and all that we have? With this clear spiritual perception preserved, we may enjoy prosperity and not be ensnared by it. It is man’s birthright to enjoy prosperity and at the same time to preserve the consciousness of absolute dependence on God.

The supply for every need is always at hand if we but lift our eyes. This was proved by Hagar, the bondmaid, and her son, Ishmael. As a result of erroneous conditions, mother and son had been put out of the household of Abraham and Sarah. Yet, even so, their needs were met by divine Love, who tenderly cares for all His children and graciously provides for all their needs. When they were wandering in the wilderness of Beer-sheba and their supply of water was spent, divine Love opened Hagar’s eyes, “and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.” So their lives were preserved.

The lives of Christian Scientists are full of such experiences, such proofs of the bountiful provision of divine Love. Under every circumstance divine Love guides the thought of the earnest seeker, enabling him to find the bread and water of Life, even as He guides the sparrow to find the crumbs beneath the snow, even as He guided Hagar to find the well of water. When lack appears to be rife, and the world seems cold, even then divine Love sends comfort into the heart and lights it up with sympathy and cheer, bringing hope and the promise of the fuller enjoyment of good. It may be a few words of cheer from a friend, or from a Christian Science lecture, or from one of the Science periodicals, that bring the needed comfort. When trials seem to multiply and difficulties loom up like mountains, and one knows not where to turn, even then divine Love guides the earnest heart to find living bread and to drink of living waters, to find the needed solution to the most pressing problem. Christ Jesus said, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

Many who have come through experiences when lack appeared to be prevalent, have learned through Christian Science to rely on God wholly. Those who, on this basis, have learned in some measure that man is spiritual, that man lives in Spirit and is inseparable from Spirit, have gained something more precious than rubies. They have learned the secret of divine Love’s provision, a secret which is open to every one who seeks to know God aright. Mrs. Eddy writes in the Christian Science textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” (p. 234), these helpful words: “Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love — be it song, sermon, or Science — blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ’s table, feeding the hungary and giving living waters to the thirsty.”