Settle by the river

There is a quote from Mary Baker Eddy's principal work "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" which I pray with and think about for years - and also today:

The calm, strong currents of true spirituality, the manifestations of which are health, purity, and self-immolation, must deepen human experience, until the beliefs of material existence are seen to be a bald imposition, and sin, disease, and death give everlasting place to the scientific demonstration of divine Spirit and to God's spiritual, perfect man.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 99:23)

Every time I spend time with it, I see something new. Just the other day my husband added to my understanding that self-immolation really means sacrificing or even destroying by fire (sacrifices in Antiquity f.e. meant burning something to ashes). The calm, strong currents of true spirituality stream on. They run, they take their course unperturbed.

Divine Love is an infinite world of good, a land to explore and settle in. Spiritual sense shows us the map of divine Love and guides us into those currents, those streams of good guiding us with their power - and we can safely float into them, feel their forward thrust and demonstrate the truths of eternal Life, that is life with them and acknowledge them and enjoy them.

Right by the continuous flow of good, directly from God. This good is refreshing, uplifting, sustaining, supporting, inspiring, unending, healing, freeing --- and our greatest asset, spiritual sense, knows and feels this. Mary Baker Eddy observes: "Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to understand God." (Science and Health, p. 209) As a side note: Wouldn't you want to have a book in your home that gives you insights like these?

Undoubtedly the Psalmist wrote down his poems using spiritual sense. In Psalm 36: 7,8 he poetizes about how much we are loved by God and how well we are sustained, every day, and it is here that he introduces a special river, the continuous flow of good - from God to His/Her entire creation, within creation, without end:

How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. (KJV)

How priceless is your unfailing love, o God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast in the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delights. (NIVUK)

Of what great worth is your lovingkindness, O God! The children of men come and are safe in the shadow of your wings. They are filled with the riches of Your house. And you give them a drink from the river of joy."
(NLV)

This stream of goodness never ceases. It is showering healing, an open path, meaning into your experience - pleasure, delights, and joy into our being --- the effect of divine Love is a purifying, empowering, rinsing, cleaning action, every moment of our being.

We are planted by this river, at home in God's house, at home as children are in their parental home. And because we are so well equipped, it comes natural to move on the blessing and give and heal others. By the river of God's joy it comes easy to be grateful, because there is so much good for everyone. Settle by the river of joy.