Lesson 165 from A Course in Miracles begins with a piercing question: “What makes this world seem real except your own denial of the truth that lies beyond?” (W-165.1:1.) The lesson explores the idea that the seeming solidity of the world is not the result of what is actually there, but of a denial of what remains unseen and unchanging. What is denied is not destroyed. What is obscured is not absent. The lesson teaches that the Thought of God remains in us, untouched by our forgetfulness.
The Psalms express this same assurance. Psalm 139 asks, “Where can I go from your Spirit?” and answers with certainty that there is nowhere God’s presence does not reach. “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7–10.) This reflects the message of the lesson that the Thought of God has never left us and continues to shine in our minds. (W-165.2:7.)
Deuteronomy echoes this nearness: “The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14.) The Word of God is not distant or conditional. It is present. It is within. This is the same message the lesson gives when it says that we need not even be certain of our desire. It is enough to ask. What is given is already ours, waiting to be received. (W-165.4:4.)
Isaiah offers reassurance to the fearful: “Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10.) The lesson expresses this idea not in terms of obligation or command, but of what is already true. The Thought of God “protects you, cares for you, makes soft your resting place and smooth your way.” (W-165.2:6.) The care is not conditional. It flows from what you are.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells the Pharisees, “The kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21.) This is not a statement about worthiness or preparation. It is a statement of fact. The kingdom is already present. Likewise, the lesson says Heaven is ours today, but for the asking. One does not need to first understand the gift or earn its coming. One must only ask to receive. (W-165.4:2–4.)
John records Jesus saying, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23.) The Course uses different language, but expresses the same truth when it says we are host to God. The presence of God dwells in us because God placed it there, and nothing has removed it. (W-165.7:5.)
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, affirms that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. “Neither death nor life, neither the present nor the future, nor anything else in all creation.” (Romans 8:38–39.) The Course echoes this certainty: “Abundance dwells in him, and deprivation cannot cut him off from God’s sustaining Love and from his home.” (W-165.6:6.)
The letter to the Philippians promises that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). This peace is not distant or theoretical. It is active, protective, present. The lesson teaches that the peace, joy, and safety of God are already in us. We are not asked to create them, but to recognize and receive them. (W-165.3:1–2.)
Lesson 165 ends by inviting us to rely not on ourselves but on God. We do not need to make ourselves certain. We only need to ask. The power and love of God are already present, beyond our fear and our doubt (W-165.8:3–5). Hebrews offers a final affirmation: “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5.) That is the promise on which the lesson rests.
Questions for Reflection
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Where have I mistaken absence for truth?
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What feels missing in my life—love, safety, meaning—that might actually still be present if I could see differently?
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What do I hope to find “out there” that I’m being asked to uncover within?
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What if every fear I have is based on a denial of what is already given?
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Can I be willing today to ask—even if I’m not certain what the answer looks like?
