Turn My Eyes from Worthless Things


Psalm 119:33-40
33Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
34Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
35Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
36Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
37Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
38Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.
39Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
40Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

Back in February we began this study of the longest of the psalms, 119. Today, we pick up where we left off with the “He” stanza. If you will recall, the literary foil used by the psalmist in this case is that each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has an 8-verse stanza. The first word of each verse begins with the letter for that stanza. The first word of each verses begins with the letter on the right.

I am struck by the first word of the verses 33-37; teach me, give me, lead me, incline my, turn my. In each of these verses we are asking (telling!) God to point us in His direction. And in this asking/telling, I don’t find a single “please”. In this prayer, we don’t come before God in an attitude of begging, but instead of boldly asking that our will be bent to His. It’s almost as if the psalmist is saying, ‘it’s okay God – bring me Your way. I’ll go!’

Right in the middle is the most stunning request of all. “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things”. How much time do I spend looking at worthless things? Way more than is healthy. I live in a world that filled with worthless things with which to spend my time and fill my head. No wonder we feel disconnected from God sometimes. Our heads are filled up with useless stuff. In 1997, the game Trivial Pursuit came out and it was very popular as people gathered around the game board to display their general knowledge. What I learned very quickly is that I have a whole head full of useless information. It was finally a game I could win, as there was no athletic prowess involved! But where did all that information come from? It’s a little shocking how much time and mental energy I’ve wasted on “worthless things”. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not calling that sin. But it does point to a waste of brain cells. Perhaps if I’d spent as much time reading my Bible as I did watching 60s TV, I may know the Lord as well as I know The Brady Bunch or who wrote A Midsummer’s Night Dream. With that in mind, my prayer today is Give me life in Your ways.

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