The many types of communication in the world of today make it necessary for one correctly to evaluate these messages in order to protect one's thinking and behavior. A good example of how to do this was given by Christ Jesus. It is well to remember that at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was led into the wilderness and tempted by evil, or the devil. It tried him first by attacking what might have appeared as a vulnerable spot: hunger to be appeased materially. Then, using words of Scripture, it tempted him to put God to a test for spectacular deliverance from a foolhardy act. Lastly, it attempted to claim his entire deference and worship in exchange for "the kingdoms of the world" (Matt. 4:8). But the Master's pure devotion to God silenced the Satanic utterances.
Error, self-deceived and deceiving, is a contradiction of Truth. According to Christian Science, it is a false, mortal belief without voice, power, or entity. Shorn of any reality, it falls into the realm of illusion. Its utter nothingness can be proved by heartfelt prayer, which includes the strong affirmation of God's allness. During his brief but vitalizing teaching and ministry, Jesus spent many hours alone in prayer, conferring with the one mighty communicator—pure Truth.
We are told that after his conversion on the road to Damascus and his subsequent healing of blindness, the Apostle Paul "conferred not with flesh and blood" (Gal. 1:16) but went into the wilderness of Arabia for a period of communion with God. How much Paul needed this communion with Truth in order to withstand the assaults of criticism from the high priests, whom he had formerly upheld, and of suspicion from the Christians, whom he had persecuted in past days! His letters, those inspiring communications to the early Christians in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and elsewhere, followed as natural fruits of his consecration to the ever-available communicator of comfort, forgiveness, enlightenment, and encouragement in the wilderness of doubt and loneliness. He tells of hearing unspeakable words in these moments of divine revelation.
