“Turn my heart toward your statues and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word.” – Psalm 119:36-37
I’ve known people earning enough money to buy anything they want and do anything they desire. Accolades and success from earthly sources are continuously pouring in. But you know what else?
Think about it. I’m not an artist, but if I was, you better believe I would sign my name to my artwork. If I write a book, my name will go on the jacket. If we work to create something, we will put something on it to make sure people know its source, right?
Don’t you think God did the same thing when He created each of us? Don’t you think He didn’t put something inside each one of us that will only be satisfied when our Creator is recognized? And no matter what else we try to fill it with, nothing else will satisfy?
We must:
King Solomon wrote that we must guard our hearts above all else, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). We can see by his words that this wasn’t a suggestion. “Above all else” implies that it must become our top priority because as the wellspring of our life, everything else will be affected my what’s in our hearts.
We intentionally position our hearts toward God by staying connected to His Word, prayer, surrounding ourselves with those who love Him, of course. But we position our hearts toward Him most by working to make sure that He stays our top priority. At the top of our affections list. The only way He can get to that spot and stay there is if we consider His needs before our needs and spend consistent time with Him.
Luke 11:34 says, “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.”
We can’t be so naive to think what we see doesn’t affect us. We live in a world that has become largely desensitized to sin. We “accept” things God’s Word teaches are wrong because we spend more time watching media that makes us laugh than we do reading God’s Word that teaches truth. What we see will eventually reach our mind, and potentially, our actions.
God, protect our hearts and eyes to stay turned toward You. We know that if we seek things that only benefit us here on earth, we are succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter. Make us uncomfortable in situations where You are not being considered and honored. Keep us focused to pursue You above all us. Grant us favor with those who don’t know You, so we can share Your purpose of eternal joy & lasting success through salvation. We love you! Amen.
