TURN AWAY MY EYES

“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.” (Psalm 119:33-40)

Wow, reading these verses in Psalm 119 really resonated with me today. I find that my eyes have not been focused on the Lord, but on worthless things that have drawn me away from Him. It never ceases to amaze me how easily I am distracted by those “worthless things” in my life. In fact, just in the last month I have wallowed in overwhelm and fear and allowed myself to be sidetracked by worthless e-mails, worthless thoughts and fears, worthless internet searches, and worthless television shows that keep me from being who God is calling me to be and the work God has for me for His purpose; ultimately leaving me empty and feeling alone as though God has forsaken me. The harsh reality is, God had forsaken me only because I had forsaken Him, I had abandoned Him. “The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” (2 Chronicles 15:2a-c) I willingly chose worthless things over my relationship with God. I was empty and alone because I chose to be! Wow, now that is something to chew on for a while.

We often think that separation from God only happens to those who don’t believe, to those who haven’t accepted Jesus as their savior. After all, what Christian would ever willingly choose to be separated from their Father in heaven? The reality is we are all susceptible to momentary separation from God. When we allow our eyes to lose focus on God and instead look to worthless things, we are willingly choosing the worthless things over our Creator, our Savior, our God. Yet, if we turn our focus back to God, repent for our sins and ask for forgiveness; He will restore us. He will revive us in His word and in His righteousness.

I, like the Psalmist, now yearn for the Lord: to teach me, to make me walk in the path of His commandments, to turn away my eyes from worthless things, and to help me abandon my shameful ways. I long for God’s word, for His instruction, and for His law! He has revived me and I am so very grateful. If your eyes are on worthless things and you find yourself separated from God, I pray that you too will be revived in God’s word and in His righteousness. Seek the Lord with all your Heart and you will find Him. “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity.” (Jeremiah 19:12-14a)

COACH’S CALL TO ACTION

• What are the worthless things in your life that take your eyes off God?


• How long will you allow these worthless things to separate you from God?


• Pray and meditate on Psalm 119:33-40 this week and journal what God reveals to you.

Copyright © 2009 Radiant Sun Life Coaching. All rights reserved.