There are two powers that offer their helping hands to the human soul and wait to see which one it will choose.
It was originally intended that, by virtue of birth, all souls belong to God by right of creation, but every person has free will and has the right to decide for himself to whom he will submit it. Until a certain age, children are placed under the authority of parents and educators, who teach them their own understanding of life and the worldview accepted in their society.
Let me give an allegory.
The human soul is like a glove that languishes as it waits for a hand so that it can do something. The soul seeks an occupation for the soul. The soul searches for the meaning of life and tries to understand how it can best realize its abilities.
In essence, a glove without a hand is a piece of material that can do nothing by itself, nor will it. But then a hand takes this glove into its hands and puts it on. And then everything is transformed. The world becomes more beautiful. The glove begins to see many things from different perspectives and to penetrate into the essence of things.
Over time, the glove sees that there are two hands fighting each other for the right to possess it and its will, continually sending it various thoughts so that it will choose which hand will put it on.
There is a dark hand that often assumes the appearance of light in order to lead into darkness. And there is a hand of light that seeks every opportunity to make the glove’s life better and fill it with happiness. A choice must be made. Two hands will not fit into one glove, nor will they try to do so together. But each hand offers itself, trying to present as attractively as possible the benefit of being filled by it.
The distinctive feature of the glove’s choice, however, is that if it does not choose the hand of light, the dark hand will possess it. The hand of light cannot impose itself, but it actively tries to convince the glove of the special benefit and advantage of its presence within. But if a vessel is full, it is difficult to pour anything more into it. And the hand must wait.
And so the glove made its choice and chose the light. It entered into a covenant with the hand of light and received the right to the hand’s continual presence within itself. The hand did not keep it waiting but began to perform deeds that were pleasing to the glove and brought joy and meaning.
The glove began to notice that this world hated the hand and sought in every way to wound and destroy it. But every action directed against the hand first fell upon the glove, causing it pain and suffering. Trying to protect the hand from trouble, cold, and violence, the glove strained all its strength and applied all its knowledge and experience so that the hand would be well. The hand, in turn, cared for the glove, periodically removing it to mend its wounds and repair the damage, and periodically dipping the glove into a solution of the spirit to give it flexibility and firmness, making it resistant to various trials.
At times, the glove became so thoroughly saturated with the solution of the spirit that it became completely transparent and unnoticeable, so that everyone around saw only the shining hand, did not notice the glove, and went toward the light.
Sometimes the glove decided that it was so important and great that it could do something good on its own, and it often credited itself with the hand’s deeds and victories, holding its nose high. But the hand would remove the glove and lay it nearby. Then, realizing its weakness and helplessness without the hand inside it, the glove began to cry out for forgiveness, search for the hand, and ask it to fill it once again. The hand did not keep it waiting.
The time came when the glove realized that it was no longer merely a glove but part of the hand, for such a profound union of these two souls had taken place that they had filled one another. You are in me, and I am in you. Neither of them wanted to part any longer; they desired to continue their harmonious fellowship and perform deeds.
Then a moment came when the hand told the glove that it was already time for it to rest from all its labors. The hand gently removed it and laid it down to rest, so that on an appointed day it could awaken the glove, put it on, and never part with it again.
The hand of light does not change its gloves “like gloves.” It knows each one by name and tenderly cares for them, improving them and preparing them for a better, eternal purpose.
What does the dark hand do with those gloves that have chosen it of their own will or through ignorance? It does not spare them or care for them. It soils them in the dirt, uses them for its own interests, and then removes them and throws them onto the rubbish heap of history, without caring in the least about their suffering. And who needs these unfortunate gloves in such a condition—in dirt, covered with wounds and mold? They suffer and pass into oblivion because they once made the choice to surrender themselves to the power of dark hands, which enticed them so alluringly in order to give them sinful pleasure, base gratification, and the right to die.
Yet even in such a pitiful condition, these dirty gloves are needed by the hand of light. They are called to change, to true light and happiness, to love and joy. They are given hope. Will any of them believe? Will they accept this light? Will they rise out of the dirt and ask the hand of light to fill them? While there is breath, there is hope, but is there hope in the deceived soul?
And God says through the prophet in Jeremiah 29:11–13: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.”
The Lord stands at the door of my heart and desires to enter. And I invite Him in. But what is the purpose of God’s visit to my life? Does He really want to enter only to have supper with me? And what happens afterward? Could there be something more important?
Knowing God, I understand that if He enters somewhere, His plan is to remain forever. Although He conducts Himself very graciously and treats me very tenderly, His embrace is very strong, and no one can pluck me out of His hand. The purpose of His visit is to establish His Kingdom, His laws, and His order in my life. He does not merely eat supper in my house; He makes it His dwelling place, replacing my “closets full of skeletons” with His own furniture. He removes all the rubbish from His apartment, which used to be mine, yet He allows me to regard this house as my own and listens to my requests.
I marvel at the changes taking place in my life. Jesus in me is so extraordinary, and I in Him is so wonderful. His love, like a banner, waves over my house and draws guests to it from all over the world. I rejoice in new light and new revelations about love, considering them very good and thinking that someday they will be useful to me. As a result, however, I see that under the influence of this knowledge I have become different. Of my old self, only my name and the appearance of my face remain so that my friends can recognize me—although even my face has begun to shine with joy and peace. Everything else has gone somewhere and become different. How painful it was to learn this science of love in practice, but how sweet its fruits are and how abundant the harvest my sowing brings! How much happiness and joy there is in my life and in the lives of those with whom I share and into whom I sow!
I have become different, truly different. Although to someone else I may still be the same, I know that this is not so. I am God’s, and God is mine.
Homework 239
In the light of our lesson, please read John 10:27; 14:23; 15:4, 8–9; Psalm 91:14–16; Matthew 6:24; Jeremiah 24:7; John 14:17; 17:23; 16:24; Luke 17:21; 1 Peter 2:5; Joshua 24:15; and Deuteronomy 28:1–2. What did you understand from this lesson? How can I determine whose hand is in me and to whom I belong? Can I decide for myself who will live in me, or does God decide this? What should I do if I see that dark powers are controlling me and I do not want this? Why, when God makes His dwelling place in me, does He immediately cleanse my heart of rubbish and establish His order within it? What awaits me if I decide to become completely united with the One Who is Love? What do friendship with God and continual abiding in His love give me? Are you familiar with and do you understand the state of abiding in God while He abides in me? How can I determine whether I love?