“Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken Thou me in Thy way.” (Psalms 119:37)
The author and date Psalms 119 was written is unknown. Some think it might have been David, but that is not a certainty. The psalmist has two distinct petitions, yet they are related.
First, what is vanity? In this verse, the Hebrew word that was used means destructive evil. It can be literally, ruin, or morally, guile which is cunning or sly smarts. Figuratively it can mean useless such as in idolatry or deception. That’s a wide range, but let’s look at it. The psalmist prays deliver me from or alienate me from appearing vain, from approving it or enjoying it.
To bring it more to the present vanity can be any behavior that points to self-achievement, any pride in something that is literally useless or gained by trickery. We see this every day and don’t realize it. We try to get one over on another either in speech or deed. That’s vanity. We try to outdo another, to exalt ourselves. That’s vanity. The reason is that it’s destructive. It’s destructive to others. It’s destructive to self. What is gained are sour grapes all around. And in the eyes of the Lord, it is sin. Can we say with the psalmist, “Deliver me, alienate me, get it away from me and let me escape from the claws of vanity.” This was his cry.
The reason for the psalmist’s desperation heard in his prayer is that it was causing him to be sluggish. It was pulling him down. He knew it. He could feel it. He could see it. I think that happens to all of us. We don’t have the fire, enthusiasm and energy in our relationship with the Lord, in our service to the Lord and in our daily walk. We can feel the difference. And we can see the results of it. Sometimes we can pinpoint it. Sometimes we can’t. But if like the psalmist, we come before the Lord, He may or may not reveal the problem, but He will always purify the sluggishness from us. He will revive us and breathe life and purpose again into our hearts.
The psalmist prays “quicken me,” or restore me in Your way. As we walk with the Lord, that fervor we first had when we first got saved, calmed down. We can pray like the psalmist, “quicken me.” Restore that passion. Restore that fire and enthusiasm. Set me on the high road.
What can curb our devotion? “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.” (1John 2:16) John hit it on the nail. We forget that we don’t belong to this world. We belong in another world. We belong to the kingdom of God. The word “lust” in the Greek means a longing or desire. Let’s ask ourselves. What are we longing for? Is it for God’s kingdom? Or is it for what will feel good to us? Or for what looks good? Or for what will exalt us in the eyes of the world? Whatever it is that will make us “feel” good, whether it is the praise of man or the accumulation of material things or money is not of God. These are things the world longs for. Whatever things look good in our eyes is of this world and temporal. And any achievements belong to the Lord. We can do nothing without Him.
Only the Lord can restore a passion for Him, for His work and for His kingdom. We need to recognize our “lust” or longings for things of this world and repent. The Holy Spirit can reveal to us what we need to do and what needs to change. Our part is to say “Yes Lord.” Our part is to surrender our longing. It is of this world. And we need to ask the Lord to give us a longing for His kingdom, for His Will and His Purposes.
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