August 7, 2007
Madame Curie
READ: Psalm 1
Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. —Psalm 119:11
Madame Marie Curie holds her place in history as a pioneer in the study of radioactivity. In 1903, she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, capturing the honor in physics. Then, in 1911, she received a second Nobel Prize, this one in chemistry.
Such a wonderful contribution did not come without tremendous sacrifice. Madame Curie died of leukemia caused by prolonged exposure to radioactive materials. Even today, scholars who wish to read her handwritten journals and lab papers must wear protective clothing because these archives are still radioactive.
No one today would approach radioactive material without protection. But many seem unconcerned about exposure to the dangers of sin. Psalm 1 warns us against sinful attitudes, speech, and behavior (vv.1,4-6).
Obedience to God’s law is a spiritual safeguard from sin and its deadly consequences. The psalmist also wrote, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (119:11).
Madame Curie didn’t know about the serious health dangers of exposure to radioactivity. But God has given us ample warning about the dangers of sin. Let’s apply daily what we read in His life-giving Book.
A light to my path alway,
To guide and to save me from sin
And show me the heavenly way. —Sellers
© Renewal 1936 Broadman Press
