August 10

August 10.

"Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless." Psalms 119:37

We must be always turning-if we would keep our life true and according to God’s commandments. There are some flowers which always turn toward the sun. There was a little potted rose-bush in a sick-room which I visited. It sat by the window. One day I noticed that the one rose on the bush was looking toward the light. I referred to it; and the sick woman said that her daughter had turned the rose around several times toward the darkness of the room-but that each time the little flower had twisted itself back, until again its face was toward the light. It would not look into the darkness.

The rose taught me a lesson-never to allow myself to look toward any evil-but instantly to turn from it. Not a moment should we permit our eyes to be inclined toward anything sinful. To yield to one moment’s sinful act-is to defile the soul. One of the main messages of the Bible is, "Turn from the wrong, the base, the crude, the unworthy-to the right, the pure, the noble, the godlike." We should not allow even an unholy thought to stay a moment in our mind-but should turn from its very first suggestion, with face fully toward Christ, the Holy One.

"I will set before my eyes no vile thing!" Psalms 101:3

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things!" Philippians 4:8

But we should train ourselves to turn also from all discouragements. There is always a bright side, and we should find it. Discouragement is full of danger. It weakens and hurts the life.