Edna Lister created this Bible study outline for October 24, 1934. Scriptures: Luke 18:1-8, Matthew 7:1 and 2 Kings 4:8-37.

He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? – Luke 18:1-8.

You are forever at a spiritual crossroads. You engage in the study of self, the study of your past life, choosing this day whom you shall serve. To your conscious mind, your choices seem right today.

What about the subconscious? It is usually locked up in wrong or unrighteous judgments, fixed opinions, emotions, prejudices and bondage to the world.

When someone questions you, are you always eager to say your say, without being questioned? Are you still eager to tell what you feel, always eager to go on record?

Are you a wise judge? A lawyer gathers evidence to produce one thing, a favorable verdict for his client. A wise judge keeps an open mind, holds no knowledge of gossip, engages in balanced thinking, etc.

Hard or unrighteous judgments create a hard face. Kindly, loving judgments create a kindly face. Judge not lest ye be judged. – Matthew 7:1. You may judge behavior, but not a soul. Really, you can only judge your self. So, you must confine yourself to yourself: You may not tell others how to run their lives until you look the part, act the part, and are the thing.

Rub truth on the self like an old-fashioned liniment, then inhale the truth fumes that emanate. Searching for facts is more profitable than jumping at conclusions. The conclusions logically unfold from the facts when you have gathered them all.

Rest assured, Judgment Day will come soon enough. Good people are always afraid of the judgment. Yet it is also a day of going to seed, which means that you stop growing, and expand backward into elemental parts or forward into farther magnitudes of glory.

On Judgment Day your own judgments will fulfill themselves in you. You must make each day a judgment day. The seat of judgment is a point in mind where you reach your conclusion, whether rational or opinion and prejudice.

Good judgment consists of separating the wheat from the chaff, which is destined for the fires of Hell. Give up self's false judgments to be made perfect. Unless you give up the chaff to be burned, you will be forced to sacrifice your body. For example, I once knew a temperance reformer drank eighteen cups of coffee a day, until it dissipated his body. He had consumed more poison than a dozen drinkers. When lifted, the soul reaches beyond the stratosphere, into heaven. Thus, you are an explorer of the unknown dimensions. As a nation, we are spiritual explorers, leading the world to a Christed government. We bear the message of a new Gospel now, written in our hearts now. As the Shunamite woman said to Elisha, you may say, "It is well with me now," despite any experience or obstacle that life produces.

The Shunamite Woman

Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, Look now, I know that this is a holy man of Elohim, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.

And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. Then he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite woman. When he had called her, she stood before him. And he said to him, Say now to her, Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army? She answered, I dwell among my own people.

So he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old. So he said, Call her. When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. Then he said, About this time next year you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my master. Man of Elohim, do not lie to your maidservant! But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her. And the child grew.

Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said to his father, My head, my head! So he said to a servant, Carry him to his mother. When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of Elohim, shut the door upon him, and went out. Then she called to her husband, and said, Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of Elohim and come back. So he said, Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath. And she said, It is well.

Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you. And so she departed, and went to the man of Elohim at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of Elohim saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, Look, the Shunamite woman! Please run now to meet her, and say to her, Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.

Now when she came to the man of Elohim at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of Elohim said, Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and Yahweh has hidden it from me, and has not told me. So she said, Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me?

Then he said to Gehazi, Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child. And the mother of the child said, As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So he arose and followed her. Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, The child has not awakened.

When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to Yahweh. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite woman. So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, Pick up your son. So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out. – 2 Kings 4:8-37.