'The goddess looked at him in amazement

The goddess looked at him in amazement

A legend tells of a man served a certain goddess with such faithfulness, that she offered to give him whatever he might ask. She offered him lands and wealth beyond price — but the man said, "Alas! I have no need for such things. I already have great estates, abundance of silver and gold, and all the good things of this life. But I am a miser . I cannot enjoy the things I possess. I know nothing of the pleasures that are common to generous minds. Give me, then, a new heart."

The goddess looked at him in amazement , and said, "You have asked a thing too difficult," and she vanished.

But this is the very thing God does for those who ask it. He is able to change the miser's heart, so that he may find pleasure in blessing others with his gifts. He does this by putting His Spirit into the heart. Then the heart is changed, and the life that was all wrong, is made all right.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and cause you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws." Ezekiel 36:26-27

The upas tree , which grows on an island of Indonesia, has an acrid, milky juice which contains a virulent poison. According to the story told by a Dutch physician, the exhalations of this tree are fatal to both animal and vegetable life. Birds flying over the tree fall dead. No flower or plant will live near the tree.

The story illustrates human lives whose influence always leaves a blight on others. They may be winning and attractive. They may come in the guise of friendship and wear the garb of innocence — but they have absorbed the poison of evil until their very breath is deadly.

One cannot be with them, accepting their friendship, or coming under their influence, without being hurt by them. The sweet flowers of purity wither in their presence. There are men and women whose merest touch is defiling, who carry moral blight for others wherever they go.

An ancient legend tells of a maiden that was sent to Alexander from some conquered province. She was very beautiful — but the most remarkable thing about her was her breath, which was like the perfume of richest flowers.

It was soon discovered, however, that she had lived all her life amid poison, breathing it, and that her body was full of poison. Flowers given to her withered on her bosom. Insects on which she breathed perished. A beautiful bird was brought into her room and fell dead.

As fanciful as this story is, there are lives which in a moral sense are just like this maiden. They have become so corrupt that everything they touch receives harming. Nothing beautiful can live in their presence.

On the other hand, the Christian life is one whose warm atmosphere is a perpetual blessing. It is like the shadow of Peter, having healing power, so that all on whom it falls are enriched and blessed by it.

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