Wednesday Bible Readings
JULY 3RD, 2025
From The Bible
But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
(Job 32:8)
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: ...
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, ...
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. ...
Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. ...
Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. ...
... ¶ There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. ...
For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: ...
(Ecclesiastes 2:4, 5, 7, 8 (to 1st ,), 9–11, 17, 20, 24, 26 (to :))
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
(Jeremiah 10:2–5)
¶ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. ...
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. ...
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
(Isaiah 41:10, 15, 16, 20)
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
(II Kings 4:1–7)
And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. ...
Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
(Luke 7:2, 3, 6–10)
Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; ...
Men’s hearts failing them for fear, ...
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
(Luke 21:10, 11 (to ;), 26 (to ,), 28)
... then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
(Luke 21:27 then)
... there shall not an hair of your head perish.
(Luke 21:18 there)
SCIENCE AND HEALTH
The description of man as purely physical, or as both material and spiritual, — but in either case dependent upon his physical organization, — is the Pandora box, from which all ills have gone forth, especially despair. ...
Through discernment of the spiritual opposite of materiality, even the way through Christ, Truth, man will reopen with the key of divine Science the gates of Paradise which human beliefs have closed, and will find himself unfallen, upright, pure, and free, ...
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 170:28–31; 171:4–8 (to 4th ,))
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 hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 234:4)
Jesus could have withdrawn himself from his enemies. He had power to lay down a human sense of life for his spiritual identity in the likeness of the divine; ...
His consummate example was for the salvation of us all, but only through doing the works which he did and taught others to do. His purpose in healing was not alone to restore health, but to demonstrate his divine Principle. He was inspired by God, by Truth and Love, in all that he said and did.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 51:6–8 (to ;), 19–24)
The world could not interpret aright the discomfort which Jesus inspired and the spiritual blessings which might flow from such discomfort. Science shows the cause of the shock so often produced by the truth, — namely, that this shock arises from the great distance between the individual and Truth. Like Peter, we should weep over the warning, ...
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 53:16–22 (to 2nd ,))
For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence. In reality there is no other existence, since Life cannot be united to its unlikeness, mortality.
Being is holiness, harmony, immortality. It is already proved that a knowledge of this, even in small degree, will uplift the physical and moral standard of mortals, will increase longevity, will purify and elevate character. Thus progress will finally destroy all error, and bring immortality to light.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 492:3–12)
Spirit imparts the understanding which uplifts consciousness and leads into all truth. ... Spiritual sense is the discernment of spiritual good. Understanding is the line of demarcation between the real and unreal. Spiritual understanding unfolds Mind, — Life, Truth, and Love, — and demonstrates the divine sense, giving the spiritual proof of the universe in Christian Science.
This understanding is not intellectual, is not the result of scholarly attainments; it is the reality of all things brought to light.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 505:16–17, 20–28)
The history of Christianity furnishes sublime proofs of the supporting influence and protecting power bestowed on man by his heavenly Father, omnipotent Mind, who gives man faith and understanding whereby to defend himself, not only from temptation, but from bodily suffering.
The Christian martyrs were prophets of Christian Science. Through the uplifting and consecrating power of divine Truth, they obtained a victory over the corporeal senses, a victory which Science alone can explain.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 387:27–4)
Mankind will improve through Science and Christianity. The necessity for uplifting the race is father to the fact that Mind can do it; for Mind can impart purity instead of impurity, strength instead of weakness, and health instead of disease. Truth is an alterative in the entire system, and can make it “every whit whole.”
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 371:26)
Evidences of progress and of spiritualization greet us on every hand.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 158:24–25)
I had been deaf from childhood. I suffered intensely after eating, and dropsy was another of my complaints. This, with consumption, caused one doctor to say, “It puzzles me; I have never seen such a case before as yours.”
I met a friend who had been cured in Christian Science, and she said, “Try Christian Science.” I got a copy of Science and Health and in three weeks I was entirely cured. I felt uplifted. It seemed as if God’s arms were around and about me. I felt as if heaven had come down to earth for me. After five years of suffering can any one wonder at my unspeakable gratitude? — A. B., Pittsburgh, Pa.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 652:25–7 (to 3rd .))
Material sense does not unfold the facts of existence; but spiritual sense lifts human consciousness into eternal Truth.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 95:30–32)
It is the spiritualization of thought and Christianization of daily life, in contrast with the results of the ghastly farce of material existence; it is chastity and purity, in contrast with the downward tendencies and earthward gravitation of sensualism and impurity, which really attest the divine origin and operation of Christian Science. The triumphs of Christian Science are recorded in the destruction of error and evil, from which are propagated the dismal beliefs of sin, sickness, and death.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 272:19)
Let the perfect model be present in your thoughts instead of its demoralized opposite. This spiritualization of thought lets in the light, and brings the divine Mind, Life not death, into your consciousness.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 407:24)
The sculptor turns from the marble to his model in order to perfect his conception. We are all sculptors, working at various forms, moulding and chiseling thought. What is the model before mortal mind? Is it imperfection, joy, sorrow, sin, suffering? Have you accepted the mortal model? Are you reproducing it? ... Do you not hear from all mankind of the imperfect model? The world is holding it before your gaze continually. The result is that you are liable to follow those lower patterns, limit your life-work, and adopt into your experience the angular outline and deformity of matter models.
To remedy this, we must first turn our gaze in the right direction, and then walk that way. We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives. Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love — the kingdom of heaven — reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 248:12–18, 19–32)
Let us accept Science, ... let us have one God, one Mind, and that one perfect, producing His own models of excellence.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 249:1 (only, to ,), 3 let)
Acquaintance with the Science of being enables us to commune more largely with the divine Mind, to foresee and foretell events which concern the universal welfare, to be divinely inspired, — yea, to reach the range of fetterless Mind.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 84:14)HYMNS
From these Thy children gathered in Thy name, / From hearts made whole, from lips redeemed from woe, / Thy praise, O Father, shall forever flow. / Alleluia! Alleluia!
O perfect Life, in Thy completeness held, / None can beyond Thy omnipresence stray; / Safe in Thy Love, we live and sing alway / Alleluia! Alleluia!
O perfect Mind, reveal Thy likeness true, / That higher selfhood which we all must prove, / Joy and dominion, love reflecting Love. / Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou, Soul, inspiring—give us vision clear, / Break earth-bound fetters, sweep away the veil, / Show the new heaven and earth that shall prevail. / Alleluia! Alleluia!
(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 66)
It matters not what be thy lot, / So Love doth guide; / For storm or shine, pure peace is thine, / Whate’er betide.
And of these stones, or tyrants’ thrones, / God able is / To raise up seed—in thought and deed— / To faithful His.
Aye, darkling sense, arise, go hence! / Our God is good. / False fears are foes—truth tatters those, / When understood.
Love looseth thee, and lifteth me, / Ayont hate’s thrall: / There Life is light, and wisdom might, / And God is All.
The centuries break, the earth-bound wake, / God’s glorified! / Who doth His will—His likeness still— / Is satisfied.
(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 513)
Our God is Love, and all His sons / His image bear, we know; / The heart with love to God inspired, / With love to man will glow.
Teach us to love each other, Lord, / As we are loved by Thee; / None who are truly born of God / Can live in enmity.
Heirs of the same immortal bliss, / Our hopes and aims the same, / In bonds of love our hearts unite, / To praise His holy name.
So may we all with one accord / Learn how true Christians love; / And glorify our Father’s grace, / And seek that grace to prove.
(Christian Science Hymnal, No. 266)
