The joy of divine law

From the time of Moses, the concept of law is a key element in the Bible. Representing more than mere rules or ethical guidelines, divine law is portrayed as the very foundation and fabric of existence. As the author of Psalm 119 states: “Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your decrees are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts” (verses 97–100, New Revised Standard Version).

The Israelites found that understanding and obeying divine law defeated despair and led to prosperity. Mosaic law, including the Ten Commandments, was seen as divine instruction, obedience to which enabled the Jewish nation to flourish, even during times of captivity and oppression. For instance, Daniel rose to prominence in Babylonia despite exile to a foreign land and malicious attempts by native princes to destroy him. This demonstrates how adherence to divine law transcends earthly challenges.

Jesus preeminently advanced the understanding of God’s law and its spiritual substance. In the Gospel of Matthew, he states, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (5:17, NRSV). Jesus lived and taught a pure form of law, untainted by human tradition, that empowered him to heal the sick, reform the sinning, and raise the dead. His disciples continued this work, learning from him how to apply the law of all good, of total harmony, to heal and uplift others. This law of the one, infinite Mind, God, governs and controls the universe.

Jesus’ disciples learned from him how to apply the law of all good, of total harmony, to heal and uplift others.

In her seminal work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, further explains how to practice divine law. For example, in an allegory likening the healing of a potentially fatal illness to a court trial, she challenges the notion of there being any reality or power in material law. As some characters in the allegory exclaim, “The law of Christ supersedes our laws; let us follow Christ” (p. 434). The allegory goes on to illustrate the power of divine law to bring physical healing.

An early student of Christian Science, Adam H. Dickey, wrote an article titled “God’s law of adjustment” (The Christian Science Journal, January 1916). In it, he emphasizes the universality of divine Principle, stating that “there is a law of God that is applicable to every conceivable phase of human experience, and no situation or condition can present itself to mortal thought which is outside of the direct influence of this infinite law. The effect of the operation of law is always to correct and govern, to harmonize and adjust.”

The understanding and application of divine law has brought improved health, prosperity, and comfort in my life. I experienced improved health soon after reading the aforementioned allegory and listening to an audio recording of Dickey’s article. I was a new dad living in a small apartment with my wife and our newborn twin boys. Additional family members were staying with us for several nights, and I was suffering from a cold, which included severe congestion, and a painful ear problem.

Although fearful and in pain, I knew divine law was powerful enough to relieve these conditions. This knowledge soon allayed the fear. That night, I could not sleep. I found a quiet space to sit and pray and resolved to bring my thoughts into accord with divine law through prayer until the conditions were overcome. I pondered the Lord’s Prayer and “the scientific statement of being” (Science and Health, p. 468). I prayed all night, and by dawn, divine law was firmly established in my thinking. Both the ear problem and the cold were gone. God’s law had overcome a supposed material health law that would have sentenced me to sickness and suffering.

Another example of divine law providing comfort was during a recent installation of solar panels on our house. I was concerned because it was an unusually hot and humid day, and I did not want the installers to suffer from the heat.

Divine law is not simply a set of rules but an active, living force that brings healing, harmony, and prosperity.

We had set up a cooling area in our basement, and as the day got hotter, my wife invited the workers inside for cool refreshments and lunch. But I felt we could do more. I recalled reading about an incident highlighted in Mary Baker Eddy: Christian Healer, Amplified Edition, by Yvonne Caché von Fettweis and Robert Townsend Warneck. Mrs. Eddy had noted an occasion when her prayers had instantaneously reversed some threatening weather conditions (see p. 261). Knowing that not even so-called meteorologic law was superior to divine law, I prayed to know that the installers were working in the “atmosphere of Love divine,” as a hymn says (H., Christian Science Hymnal, No. 144). My wife joined me in prayer for this project.

Right at the peak heat of the day, some unexpected clouds gathered, and the sound of thunder was heard. A brief rain shower cooled the immediate area for about an hour, allowing the installers to finish their work in greater comfort.

Divine law, as portrayed and demonstrated in the Bible and practiced in Christian Science, is not simply a set of rules but an active, living force that brings healing, harmony, and prosperity. Whether understood through Hebrew scripture, the teachings of Jesus, or individual experiences, divine law remains an ever-present power that meets every human need. As we recognize and apply this in our own lives, we too can experience the joy and transformation that come from knowing, and living in alignment with, the authority of divine Principle.