This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at the Edmonds' home, 611 Pennsylvania Ave., Norfolk, Va., this 19th day of July, 1936, in accordance with request made by those present.

Present: Edgar Cayce; Gertrude Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Minnie Barrett, Esther Wynne, Hannah Miller, Florence & Edith Edmonds, Frances Y. Morrow, Hugh Lynn Cayce, Helen Ellington and Ruth LeNoir.

TEXT

1. GC: You will have before you Norfolk Study Group #1, members of which are present here, and their work on the lesson Knowledge. As I call each name of members you will give a personal message on the lesson Knowledge which will help them to understand and contribute to this lesson.
2. EC: Yes, we have the group as gathered here, as a group, as individuals, and their work on the lesson Knowledge. Ready for questions.
3. (Q) [307]:
   (A) Let the emptying of self make thee indeed ready for the receiving of the Knowledge of the law of the Lord. For His ways are not past finding out to those that seek to know His face through the Christ. Let love be without preference. Let thy yeas be yea, thy nays be nay. KNOW the Lord in ALL things. For He will keep thee, if ye will be guided in EVERY THOUGHT, in every act, by the Knowledge of the Lord.
4. (Q) [303]:
   (A) The ways of the Lord are only hard to those who have set themselves in ideas. Let the IDEAL of the Christ guide thee. For He hath given His promise, "Take my yoke upon you, and LEARN of me." In THIS Knowledge of Him, thy Savior, as thy companion, the way becomes easy, the burden becomes light. For as He hath given, take not thought or fret thyself not concerning tomorrow, looking not back but ever upward, onward, into the face, into the love of the Christ. And ye will find His presence giving thee strength for the daily conditions, the daily disturbances. And He will keep thee as in the hollow of His hand. For as He hath given, He hath given His angels charge concerning thee, but the Christ has given, "I - even I - will be WITH thee." Then trust in Him, for this is indeed Knowledge.
5. (Q) [379]:
   (A) The Lord is thy strength and thy redeemer. Then let not the cares of the world or the turmoils of those about thee upset thee, nor cause thee to be afraid. For the earth IS the Lord's, and those that love the Knowledge of the Lord keep His ways. And they that keep His ways need not fear. For harm of a DESTRUCTIVE nature CANNOT come nigh to those that love Him. Though the ways of the earth may appear dark, though anxiety may make thee fretful, the patience and the Knowledge that patience maketh for the awareness of thy unity with Him will keep thee ever.
6. (Q) [404]:
   (A) Let mercy, grace and peace abide in thee, through the Knowledge thou hast of His promises. For as He hath given, though the heavens and the earth pass away, His promises remain. Then BELIEVE, then be guided, then hold fast to that thou hast seen, thou hast known. Doubt not the love of the Father. Fear not those that may make for disturbing influences in the material life. But know the Knowledge of the Father through the Christ sustaineth those that trust ONLY in Him.
7. (Q) [560]:
   (A) The beauty of service is the understanding of the Knowledge of God. And as God is Knowledge, let that service, let that love that hath been shown thee be given IN love, in mercy, in justice, even to those that are doubters, that are fearful, that even say unkind things. For to love those only that love thee, what profit hath thou in the Knowledge of the law of love in the Christ? For He loved those that hated Him. He died for those that would take His life - in the earth. Then, in thy Knowledge and in thy love for Him, let nothing make thee afraid. For the love of the Christ sustaineth those that put their trust in Him. And as He hath given, ye shall know, ye shall have Knowledge of the truth and it shall make thee free indeed in Him. Then keep the faith, for Knowledge maketh faith easy.
8. (Q) [993]:
   (A) The Knowledge in Christ of the love to the world, as a universal love, maketh the hearts of men glad - if they do not become hedged about by cisms [schism] or those forces that cut short the fruits of the spirit. Then let the love in the Christ be thy mantle, thy cloak; yea, let it shod thy feet - that maketh for the pathway before men; glorious in the Knowledge that ye walk with the Christ! For He keepeth those that love their brethren. He abideth with those that have the Knowledge that the love of God constraineth all at all times. Then, IN the Knowledge that He is thine, thou art in Him - and in Him in the Father, be thou sustained and strengthened day by day. For the night is spent and the day of the Lord is nigh to those that KNOW His ways and keep them before their brethren. [See also 262-99, Par. 9-A.]
9. (Q) [413]:
   (A) The cares of the world, the bickerings of those that are fearful, cause thee to wonder. But let these not shake thy FAITH. Let them not make or cause in thy answers other than LOVE that casteth out fear; that heapeth upon the heads of those that are fearful that ointment as of the Lord that bringeth healing to those to whom it may be given. And they that in their weakness are strong in the Lord are ministers of mercy in the Father through the Son. For He hath shown the way, and He will keep thee and sustain thee - if ye will hold fast to that Knowledge of Him that ye have heard, that ye have seen, that ye have experienced in thine own daily life. For to love the Lord is indeed Knowledge. And in the ministering of those things, those influences that He hath given thee is indeed Knowledge - and will bring to thee, to thy house, to thy hands, to thy mind, to thy heart, peace and harmony that passeth understanding.
10. (Q) [585]:
    (A) Mercy and justice and faith and patience are in the hearts and minds of those that deal with their fellow man in the KNOWLEDGE of the Father through the Christ. They that seek for self, for self-satisfaction, for self-gratification, are unwise; but they that judge their brother, they that find fault with the things of life LACK the Knowledge and UNDERSTANDING of the mercies of God. Then if ye would find mercy before the Father, be merciful to those that even smite thee, that even use thee, that even abuse thee. For in being merciful thou doth indeed obtain mercy before the throne of grace. If ye would know the love of God, if ye would know the abiding presence of the Savior, show in thy dealings to thy fellow man the love even as He. Oft thou findeth in thy experience that there appears to be lack of appreciation of thy efforts. Forget not how that those whom He healed even forgot to say even "Thank You." Give thanks then for the pattern, for the Knowledge of Him that thou hast in thine experience. And HOLD FAST to that Knowledge. For in giving it out ye obtain the greater understanding; yea, the greater Knowledge.
11. (Q) [288]:
    (A) The cares of the world, the thoughts of others in their indifference to that thou holdest as thy ideal should not WORRY THEE; for thou may not add one whit or one tittle to the POWER of God or of Knowledge. Do THY duty, do thy love, day by day. LEAVE the fruits, the increase, the change, in the hands of the Father. For HE knoweth thy worries. Then LOVE the Lord, LOVE the opportunities for expression; but give ONLY the love of CHRIST, give ONLY the ideals as He set. They are NOT of the earth, though they may manifest in same. For ye see them in the face of nature, in the beauty of a rose, in the smile of a baby. Then fret not thyself that it will not find expression. Do that thou KNOWEST to do and find not fault with thy neighbor. For he that doeth such is not wise, neither is it of wisdom. For He sendeth His blessings on the just and the unjust, hoping - hoping that thou in thy Knowledge of Him will aid thy fellow man and leave the BLESSINGS to God.
12. (Q) [294]:
    (A) Let mercy and peace abide with thee in thy Knowledge of the Lord. Boast not of thyself. Rather know that only in Him, through Him, may help come to thy brethren, to His children. For he that would be the greatest is the servant of the meekest, the lowliest of His children. Then the Knowledge of God constrain thee in that the DOING, the being of a channel, is thy opportunity for the SHOWING of thy appreciation, of thy love, for His blessings to thee.
13. (Q) [341]:
    (A) Let thy understanding make thee strong in being more humble, more patient, more long-suffering with those that fear neither earth nor the powers in same, that regard not God nor His love for man's estate. In the Knowledge of Him GUIDE those that are weak, comfort those that are fearful, direct those that are doubtful. And keep thine own conscience, thine own mind, thine own body, as one with Him. Thou hast seen His might in the earth. Thou hast seen the mighty fallen. Thou hast seen the wicked arise to places of position, yet these in the Knowledge of the Father have been brought as naught or as one. For only in doing the fruits of the spirit may ye ATTAIN to the use of the Knowledge and the fruit thereof. To have love, give it; to have patience, show it; to have long-suffering, be it; to have the love of God, live close to His ways.
14. (Q) [538]:
    (A) Empty thou thine heart and thine mind of those things, those experiences, those ideas, that would separate thee from the true Knowledge of Christ, of God, in Him. For though He were in the world and subject to and saw ALL the little petty malices, strifes, and wept over them all, He gave - and GAVE - and GAVE until the blood flowed even from His body. These be opportunities, then, in thine experience; that ye may indeed be clean in thy living, thy words, thy life before thy brother, thy Christ. For He WILL give thee Knowledge. He will give thee understanding, if ye will embrace Him now - while the light of thy life is in the making, while the blessings of His love are roundabout. For the Knowledge of the Lord is doing even as He. Though the world may mock, though the world may sneer, thou KNOWEST in WHOM thou hast believed, and know He is able to keep thee against ANY experience if ye will hold fast to His hand.
15. (Q) [462]:
    (A) Unto him that hath the Knowledge of the Lord is given greater Knowledge in the ways to meet those influences of the earth that would make men afraid. To him that beareth with his neighbor, to him that overcometh those things that are fearful, is given the greater Knowledge of the Father in those ways and those manners that bring harmony in the life, that bring peace and bring ACTIVITY of the kind, of the nature that He did. For the life of the Master in the earth in ANY EXPERIENCE was a life of ACTIVITY, a life of service. So in thine experience be ye up and DOING with a heart that is set in Him as the light to thy feet, the lamp to thy ways; as a city that the buildings and makers of same are of God. For thou hath much work to do.
16. (Q) [295]:
    (A) Fear and the uses of same in thine experience maketh thee afraid. Let the Knowledge of the Lord constrain thee day by day. Fear not those things of the flesh, of the body, that would hinder in thine understanding, thine Knowledge of thy God. Though ye be in the midst of tempestuous forces of the earth, if the Knowledge, if the love of the Christ be thy guide, ye will be strong, ye will be steadfast, ye will be patient
17. (Q) [69]:
    (A) The Knowledge of the Lord is only the BEGINNING of wisdom. The application of Knowledge in thy experience is to do GOOD to - those of the household of faith? Yea, to those that berate thee, to those that speak unkind of Him, to those that fear not man nor regardeth not God. Let love and patience and mercy be WITH thee. For in doing these ye have that Knowledge that surpasseth all the wisdom of the earth. For who is wise? He that loveth the Lord and doeth His ways.
18. (Q) Any message for the group as a whole?
    (A) As ye have received, as ye are moved, as ye apply that ye receive, give to those that seek. Be patient, be kind. Speak not unkindly of anyone. Let not gossip nor unkind things, either in thought or deed, be in thine experience. And ye will find the true Knowledge of the Christ in the Father being close to thee.
19. We are through.

BACKGROUND

1. Subject of Reading 262-98 - "Study Group #1."

Edgar Cayce Readings © 1971, 1993, 1994, 1995 by the Edgar Cayce Foundation