March 12

Command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon. — 1 Kgs 5:6

Solomon was determined to put into the Temple nothing but the best. Nothing imperfect, nothing unworthy, must go into that building for God.

In the building of our character nothing that is not beautiful should be used. We should read the best books, so as to build into our life–temple only the whitest thoughts of the world.

Our friendships have much to do with the making of our character, and therefore we should have only good and true friends. Above all, we should read the Bible, for it contains God’s words and thoughts. They are all the whitest, purest marble, and there is no blemish or flaw anywhere in them.

Then we should have the companionship of Christ, for He is the truest, the most inspiring Friend any one can have. We should put also into God’s work that we do in other lives only the best. We should never give a touch to any character, through word, disposition, act, or influence of ours, which is not clean enough to appear before Christ’s holy eyes.