Last spring, at a time when I really needed a healing, I saw that the battle was the Lord’s: The issue was about witnessing how He maintains His own image and likeness, not about fixing the body. The real need was for me to hold firm in my heart and daily life to my commitment to God, as Jehoshaphat did when threatened by enemy forces (see II Chronicles 20).
For a couple of weeks I’d been going deeper in my study to understand more of St. John’s vision of the new heaven and new earth, and “the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven” (Revelation 21:2). I’d also been doing a study of the life of Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. Mrs. Eddy loved mankind so much she spent her life working to wake suffering humanity to God’s loving presence, which continuously provides and cares for each one of us.
I found what Mrs. Eddy says about John’s vision of the new heaven and earth very helpful. She writes, “When you read this, remember Jesus’ words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp. 573–574). Her encouragement that this state of consciousness is a present possibility because the kingdom is within made me realize I could see this, too.
