"Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way." Psalm 119:36-37 KJV
The Bible tells us, in 1 John 2:15-17, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
As it was in the beginning, when Eve looked at the forbidden tree and "it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise" (Gen. 3:6), so also this world holds before us and offers to us many things which appeal to our eyes and the sinful inclination of our hearts. We may desire them and covet them but their end is vanity and death -- both spiritual and eternal.
Thus, the psalmist prays, "incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way."
Most of what this world offers and promises is vanity. We look upon what it offers and think, "If only I had this or could partake in that, I would be happy and content." But what is the result but vanity, emptiness and the desire for something more? Instead of being satisfied with what God gives us and trusting in Him to supply all we truly need, we look at the offerings of this world and covet what God has not given us and sometimes what He has forbidden to us. We lust after things, pleasures, accomplishments, all for our selfish and sinful ends. And the way leads to spiritual death and punishment.
With the psalmist, we pray that God would incline our hearts toward His Word and the truth which gives life rather than toward our selfish goals and ambitions which bring emptiness and death. We pray that He would turn our eyes away from looking at vanity -- those things which do not satisfy our real need for fellowship and life with our God and Maker. We pray that He would quicken us and make us alive -- spiritually -- by showing us the error of our ways and bringing us to trust in Christ Jesus, God's only-begotten Son, for forgiveness and life (cf. Eph. 2:1-10). We pray that He would make us alive and lead us to walk in His way -- "the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:24).
O gracious and merciful God, turn away our eyes and hearts from the pleasures and offerings of this world to You and to Your Word, and raise us up to life through faith in Your Son and His cross. Amen.
[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]
Editorial on 10/12/2016