Miscellaneous Writings

There is but one hand in the universe. It is God’s hand. Whenever you have felt that your hand was empty it has been because you have believed yourself something separate from God. Have you not felt at times great desire to give to others something they needed or wanted, and have not been able? Have you not said many times within yourself, “Oh, if I only had money, how I would relieve anxiety and distress! If it was only in my power, how quickly would I give to this one needing work a lucrative position; to that one wanting release from material bondage, freedom,” etc? Have you not often said, “If I could only afford it, I would so gladly give my time and service to others with no thought of return”?

From whence, suppose you, comes this desire to give? Is it from the mortal of you? Nay, nay, it is the voice of the Giver of all good gifts crying out through you. It is God’s desire to give through you. Cannot He afford to give whenever and wherever He will, and not be made poorer but richer thereby? Your hand is God’s hand. My hand is God’s hand. Our Father reaches out through these, His only hands, to give His gifts. We have nothing to do with the supply. Our part is to pass out freely, and without ceasing, the good gift. This we can do only by making a complete consecration (as far as our consciousness goes) of these hands, this entire being, to the service of God, the All-Good. When we have given anything to another we no longer recognize it as ours, but as theirs. So this conscious consecration of our hands to God helps us to recognize them as God’s hands in which is (no longer “shall be”) the fullness of all things.

When, a few weeks ago, the full recognition of there being but one hand was first given to a lady, it was so real that for hours whenever she looked at her right hand she seemed unable to close it, so running over full did it seem of all good things. She said to herself, “Then if this be true, I have in my hand health to give the sick, joy to give the mourning, freedom to give those in bondage, money to those needing it; it only needs that I keep the hand open for all good gifts to flow out.” To all who came to her that day in need of anything she said mentally, “Here is just what you desire; take it and rejoice. All gifts are in my hand to give—it is God’s hand.”

And the result of that day’s work almost startled her, with such marvelous swiftness did the external manifestations of the heart’s desire come to everyone to whom she gave the word. One aged man, who for five years had been in external bondage and exile in a foreign land, held there by the machinations of another, and in which case no external law had been of avail to free, was set into perfect liberty, with the most complete vindication of character, and consequent public congratulations and rejoicings, by the word of liberty given him through that woman that day. Recognizing her hand as God’s hand, she only said, “Then in this hand are that man’s freedom papers,” and mentally extending to him her hand, she said, “Here is your freedom; it is God’s gift; wake up and take it; get up and go forth; you are free.” Then she committed the whole matter unto Him who invariably establishes the word spoken in faith, and He brought to pass the physical outpicturing of freedom.

“Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living creature.” Would you like to be able to do this? Then keep the hand open. Let no fear of poverty, fear of want, fear you will not be appreciated or justly dealt with, hinder you. Go right on giving aid to all who need anything. “Speak the word only” of giving. It is God’s word spoken through your lips, and has He not said, “My word shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that whereunto it is sent”?

We cannot afford to withhold from giving our time, our intellect, our love, our money, to whomsoever need, for the law is that withholding makes poorer. “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty,” said Solomon.

The supply is inexhaustible. Its outflow can only be limited by demand. Nothing can ever hinder the hand which is consciously recognized as God’s hand from being refilled, except, as was the case where the widow’s oil was multiplied through Elisha, “there is not a vessel more to receive it.” Let not the seeming emptiness of your hand at times stagger your faith for a moment. It is just as full when you do not see it as when you do. Keep right on recognizing it as God’s right hand in which are all good gifts now. And thus you will prove him who said, “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour out to you a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

God is surely calling us to “come up higher.” To all those who are earnestly seeking the truth for truth’s sake, and not for the loaves and fishes, neither that they may be able to “give a sign” to those seeking signs. He is saying loudly, “Take no thought what ye shall eat, what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. Your Father knoweth ye have need of these things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, these other things shall be added. Freely ye have received, freely give. Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again, and thereby ye shall be the children of the highest.” God is forever giving, giving, giving, with no thought of return. Love always thinks of giving, never of receiving. God’s giving is the spontaneous outflow of perfect love. The higher we rise in recognition and consequent manifestation of the Divine, the more surely we think always of the giving, not of what we shall receive.

We know now that money, houses, lands, and all material things can be made to come to us by holding them in our thoughts as ours; but that is not the highest God has in store for us. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive of the things He hath prepared for them that love”—what? Self? No, but “that love Him”—that love Good more than self. Jesus said, “They that have forsaken houses, lands, etc., for my name’s sake shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, of houses, lands,” etc. They that have forsaken, they that have forsaken self, they that dare let their hand be forever open to their brother, “doing good and lending, hoping for nothing again,” to them is the promise of an hundredfold even in this life,

God has called us to be stewards of His. He has chosen us as vessels to carry good to others, and it is only while carrying to others that we ourselves can be filled. The law is, “Give, and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down and running over.” Give without thought of return.

Look only to God for supply. If anything is returned to you through the one to whom you give, render thanks for it. If nothing visible is returned, give thanks just the same, knowing that no man can stand between you and the inexhaustible supply; and that it is he that withholds who is impoverished thereby, not he from whom anything is withheld.

“Acquaint thyself with God and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.”

When we have learned that God is our supply, and that He it is from whence cometh all our help, we will no longer care whether “pay” is rendered for our services or not. We will simply know that all things are ours now, and out of the fullness of love we will give freely. God’s hand is sure. Your hand is God’s hand now—today. It is full now. Give out of it mentally to all who call upon you, whatever they need. “Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”