God’s Encircling Arm

Moses comforted the children of Israel in words that have been rich in blessing to God’s people through all the centuries, when he declared, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.” In similar manner Mrs. Eddy, the beloved Leader of Christian Science, brings God near to His people of to-day when she writes (Poems, p. 4):

“Love is our refuge; only with mine eye
Can I behold the snare, the pit, the fall:
His habitation high is here, and nigh,
His arm encircles me, and mine, and all.”

The Scriptures contain many references to the arm of the Lord. Therein His arm is accounted mighty, holy, victorious, strong, glorious, tender, protective. This metaphor of God’s arm has always been very precious to His people, since there is nothing men need more than the understanding of God’s protecting, all-loving, all-mighty control. In “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” (p. 24) Mrs. Eddy writes: “He to whom ‘the arm of the Lord’ is revealed will believe our report, and rise into newness of life with regeneration. This is having part in the atonement; this is the understanding, in which Jesus suffered and triumphed.” And in “Miscellaneous Writings” (p. 183) she asks the questions, “Who hath believed our report?’ Who understands these sayings?” and then she answers by declaring, “He to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed; to whom divine Science unfolds omnipotence, that equips man with divine power while it shames human pride.”

It is therefore very evident that there may be nothing of greater importance to the Christian Scientist than to recognize the wealth of blessing contained in a proper understanding and appreciation of the significance of God’s arm. And what immense comfort does the Christian Scientist gain as he realizes more and more fully that he is leaning on the divine power, that he is demonstrating its encircling care in just the proportion that he relies on the incomparable truth of being which Christian Science reveals. And how wonderful to know that in doing this he is laying hold of the reflected power which does indeed give him dominion over all the earth!

As the Christian Scientist dwells with the absolute truth that he is always held by the encircling arm of his Father-Mother God,—that he is always surrounded by the perfect thoughts of divine Mind,—it becomes easy for him to intrench himself in the childlike confidence that he will express the mighty power for good which the consciousness of such close association with God makes possible. When Jesus spoke of the mental attitude of the “little ones,” he declared, “In heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” What complete protection, therefore, from all belief in evil must such childlike reliance insure!

Christian Scientists are sometimes tempted with the tormenting argument that they do not know how to win the consciousness of God’s ever encircling, protecting love and care. They are even betrayed into arguing for both the presence of evil and the consequent absence of good. In spite of this, there is ever and forever at hand the unfolding and enfolding love of our good God; and we have only persistently and emphatically to insist on this all-presence and all-power in order to see the shadowy and ephemeral hosts of evil disappear into their native nothingness.

It seems strange, indeed, that Christian Scientists should ever argue for or entertain in their thinking the beliefs in an opposite to infinite good, when our Leader’s teachings so plainly point out the way to remain always with the all-holy, all-powerful thoughts of divine Mind. Let us awaken, therefore, that the “arm of the Lord” may be revealed to us with its all-mighty, all-loving, all-protecting power. We need never for an instant feel that we are outside its tender embrace. To realize something of the meaning of the single line in our Leader’s poem, “His arm encircles me, and mine, and all,” is to shut out from one’s thinking all sense of hatred and strife and to open the door to a sense of love not only for God but for all mankind.