The rose taught me a lesson',

Back to Treasures from J.R. Miller

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"Turn my eyes from looking at what is worthless." Psalm 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!" Psalm 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