Psalm 119:37,38
In the wisdom that God gave Solomon, he wrote, "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.'' And in His grace God gave the psalmist in Psalm 119:37, 38 to write, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken me in Thy way. Stablish Thy word unto Thy servant, who is devoted to Thy fear."
Two truths may be noted here. Beholding vanity is the opposite of walking in God's way, that is, serving God. And in order to be turned from vanity, we must be established in God's word.
Now vanity is emptiness; and man's life by nature is vanity because it is completely void or empty of the service of God for which he was created.
The point to consider today is that because our lives are so full of sin, they are empty of service to God with our whole being and with all our earthly possessions. The psalmist does not merely mean that we must want to see that there is vanity in our lives, such as lack of worship of God, but that we must be kept from being attracted by all the vanity that is all around us. Our versification sings (PRC Psalter):
Turn Thou my eyes from vanity,
And cause me in Thy ways to tread;
O let Thy servant prove Thy word
And thus to godly fear be led.
Plainly he wants to be stopped from being attracted by that which keeps him from serving God and wants to serve Him more fully.
How about it? A bottle cannot be full of water and of air at the same time. One's life cannot be empty of the service of God and at the same time be full of love toward God. We with the psalmist must want to have our hearts completely full of love to God, and not be satisfied until that is the case with us.
Being turned from vanity means that we are quickened, that is, given zeal to do only what God calls us to do, namely, love Him and serve Him always every step of our way.
Is that your desire, or are you satisfied with your sinful walk?
Read: Isaiah 33
Psalter versification: #325:3
Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism
Song for Meditation: Psalter #18
Why not sing along??
Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
1 Kings 1
Acts 4:1-37
Psalm 124:1-8
Proverbs 16:24
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Quote for Reflection:
"Without the wall, Jerusalem lay helpless before the enemy; without the wall, Jerusalem was a reproach and shame. With the wall, Jerusalem afforded salvation to its inhabitants; with the wall, Jerusalem demanded respect." ~ David Engelsma (Standard Bearer - Oct. 2001)