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Tonight we come to the 37th verse. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity, and quicken thou me in thy word. Turn away mine eyes
from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy word. Dear congregation, the eyes are
as the windows of the soul. What we see so easily affects
the heart. Having been aware of the danger
of covetousness, he pleased with the Lord as we saw last week
to incline his heart, that is to stretch his heart, to bend
his heart towards the Word. Now he prays that the Lord would
work on his eyes. And as we go through these little
petitions, how helpful they are for us to pray, how needful they
are. For, Lord, we think of our eye
and we think of our heart, how easy it is to be affected within
as we view certain things. Well, he prays that the Lord
would turn away his eyes from beholding vanity, and then he
beseeches the Lord that he would quicken him. Dear brothers and
sisters, how much we need the Lord and His influence in our
lives each and every day. As we shall see in a moment,
we need that quickening work in order for us to pray, as we
sung, call upon the Lord. We need that quickening work. Well, as we come to these words
tonight, I'd like us to consider first of all, turn away mine
eyes. And secondly, quicken thou me. Turn away mine eyes, and then
secondly quicken thou me. Let's hear these words again.
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in
thy word. Except when we're asleep, so
many things come before our eyes. We're always observing certain
things. But then think a little further.
There are many things that come into our minds and we begin to
muse upon them. Now recall those interesting
words in Ephesians 1 verse 18. The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened. So we can think in the first
place of our physical eyes and there's many things we behold
with our eyes. But then we can think of the
eyes of our understanding. Ephesians 1 verse 18. We see
many things in our minds. Many things come before our eye
and then before our mind. There are many pleasant sights
at Stourhead at the present time. The colours are spectacular. The Dorset coastal pathway sets
forth many beautiful sights in the autumn sunshine. Children
playing and laughing together rejoices the heart. A blazing
fire in the sitting room, if you have a woodburner, warms
the soul. A roast dinner of all the trimmings
can make the mouth water. People gathered in an eager anticipation
is a heartwarming sight for the preacher. An open Bible and the
words on the page can stir the soul. The thought of Jesus Christ
can bring much pleasure. There are many good and lawful
things that come before our minds, which does us good. However,
as we consider here in these words tonight, there are many
ill sites in this world in which the heart can be led astray. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. We'll come back in a moment to
those words at the beginning of the verse, turn away. But let's note for a moment,
the vanity. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. The Hebrew word can be translated
as desolating, evil, false, vain, lying, idolatry. Let's just think
of a few things here. Idolatry, idol worship. And then there is the danger
of self. And consider unjust gain, worldly
gain. How many are seeking such worldly
gain in these days? They see certain things. Many
of them have lined up tonight in the shops to get their lottery
tickets because their eyes have been drawn to these things. They
desire to have a quick fix. They desire that worldly gain.
Sinful pleasures, drunkenness, fornication. Worldly honour? How pride can so easily be fueled? Thomas Manson the Puritan writes,
By vanity there is understood the vain things of the world,
which do so often deceive us to the happiness they promise. And how many are deceived? The
deceived will make them happy. So much can pop up before the
eye, which is not good. There is much vanity in this
world. There are many temptations. Satan
will fire his darts. The world will present its sinful
pleasures. And the heart will parade many
a vain thing. There are the dangers from without.
And we can be tempted by the world. And we can be tempted
by Satan. But we can also be as James makes
plain. So many things come before our
eye, so many things come into our minds. Turn away mine eyes
from beholding vanity, that which is ill, that which is not good. Many a temptation of a sexual
nature can come before the eye. David fell when he gazed at Bathsheba
washing herself. Many temptations can come. The
social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and so on
can be a means of keeping in contact and promoting good things,
wholesome things. The television can have some
documentaries or other such programs which can be wholesome. But there
are the dangers. Pictures can flash up. We need to be on our guard. Pictures
of ladies and men dressed immodestly. How we need to be on our guard.
How we need to act. So many temptations can suddenly
arrive before your eye and come into your mind. And we need to
say no. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. But before we make that prayer,
we need to say no. We need to resist temptation. Joseph gives us a good example. Remember Potiphar's wife, day
after day, sought him to commit wickedness. Genesis 39 verse
7, And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's
wife cast her eyes upon Joseph. And she said, Lie with me. But
he refused and said unto his master's wife, Behold my master,
what have not what is with me in the house? And he hath committed
all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this
house than I, neither have ye kept back anything from me but
thee. Because thou art his wife, how then can I do this great
wickedness and sin against God? You see, he said no. He feared
the Lord, and he was strong. And he said no, verse 10. And
it came to pass, as he spake to Joseph day by day, that he
hearken not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. The temptation came day after
day and he said, no. We are in this world and there
are many vain things and temptations can come before your eye every
day. Suddenly, you're going along
and a temptation comes. You go into a shop and a temptation
arises. You go on the social media or
you're in front of the television and a temptation suddenly pops
up before you. We mustn't be surprised if we
face temptation day after day. This is a prayer we need to be
praying every day. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. Turn it away. Remember what Job
said in Job 31 verse 1? I have made a covenant with mine
eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? I have made a covenant
with mine eyes. Now he's thinking there particularly
that he will not engage in sexual sin. I have made a covenant with
mine eyes. But let's open this up a little
further. In view of all temptation, I have made a covenant with mine
eyes. The man needs to be saying, why
should I muse over this lady? And the lady needs to be saying,
why should I muse over this man? I have made a covenant with mine
eyes. And then in view of all temptation, I have made a covenant
with mine eyes. How often do we renew that covenant?
It's a challenge, isn't it? When we read those words again. I have made a covenant with mine
eyes. We need to keep thinking on the
covenant we made. And then we need to keep renewing
the covenant. You know, we think each year
here we renew the church covenant. Covenants are good things, aren't
they? We have that wonderful covenant. As for me in my house,
we will serve the Lord. Oh, to renew that covenant every
day. Covenants are good things. They've
gone out of the church by and large. Oh, for them to come back
in. and to be renewing covenants.
When we think of this covenant, I made a covenant with mine eyes. Keep renewing that covenant.
Why then should I think upon a mate? We need to take action,
and then we need to pray. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. How we need God's help. It's
interesting, isn't it, through these verses. We're just presented
with this truth, we need God's help. Left to ourselves, we'll
be glued to this world and the sinful things of it. We need God's help. Yes, we point
the finger at ourselves every time. But oh how we need God's
help. And the Psalmist knew this. He
had fallen. Oh, he makes this earnest prayer,
having learned by experience the sinfulness of his own sin. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. Now David recognizes there were
vain things. They promised happiness, but
it was a deceit. It's important we recognise the
vanity in this world. And the vanity that comes before
us each and every day. Recognise it. And make it plain
to the Lord that you are recognising it. Just note this here. Turn
away my eyes from behorning vanity. He's making this request before
the Lord. And he speaks of vanity. And
he makes it known. I recognise the vanity in this
world. I recognise the vanity that comes up before mine eyes
and comes into my mind. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. Make your earnest and humble
plea for help. Turn away mine eyes. I remember as a boy my mother
used to say to me often, look the other way. Don't look, look
the other way. Turn away mine eyes. I do not
want to gaze on vain things. I do not want to think about
sinful things. We don't do either. We don't
want to look on vain things or think about sinful things. Turn
away mine eyes. I'm so weak. Sometimes one can have problems
with their eye muscles. We have problems with our eye
muscles at times. And we need the Lord to turn
our eyes. I'm so weak, turn mine eyes. Cause me to turn my head and
my thinking. And you know, dear brothers and
sisters, there's certain times when we need the Lord to help
us to turn our heads physically. Not only mentally, but physically. We have to look the other way.
We have to turn our heads. Lord, help me when I'm in a shop. When a certain one comes down
the street dressed immodestly. Turn mine eyes, turn my head
away. Well, let's come back to the
beginning of the verse and note particularly these words. Turn away mine eyes
from beholding vanity. The Hebrew word, or Bar, means
to cross over. To pass. To make to pass. It's not that the Lord would
shut our eyes. But that he would turn our eyes.
He would cause us to cross over and consider something else.
And look at something else. Now that's interesting isn't
it? To cross over. To pass. Or the Hebrew to make
to pass. It can be translated. So the
idea is this, it's not to shut the eye, but to turn my eyes
away from that which is ill, that I might behold that which
is good. It's not just to shut my eyes, no. To turn my eyes,
that I might focus on that which is good. When temptation comes
before my eye, turn my eyes Lord, that I might think on that which
is wholesome. That which is of profit to me. I want to behold good things. I want to behold the beauties
of creation. I want to consider those things
which are lawful for me. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. I don't want to think about those
sinful things. I want to think about good things.
Cause me, Lord, to think of the good. The godly man will say, I want
to live joyfully with my wife. and not gaze at another woman. Let my eyes be towards my wife. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity. The believer will want to think
of good things. The believer will want to think
of the word of God. The believer will want to consider
thee altogether lovely, saviour and friend. I don't want to look
at ill things. I want to behold my saviour.
Even when a temptation comes before you, oh to just have our
eyes turned and consider our Saviour who went all the way
to Calvary and so loved us. Would that not be such a help
in the bell of temptation? We want to gaze at Christ and
admire His royal beauty. When Satan sends a fiery dart
and a temptation comes before your eye, do you not want to
consider the Word and your beloved Saviour? Turn away mine eyes,
cause me to think on that which is good. Turn away mine eyes, cause me
to consider some verse of Scripture. Let me admire some excellency
of Jesus. In Sunday school a number of
years ago we used to sing this, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look
full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow
strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. When you're
in the veil of temptation, turn your eyes from this world and
look unto Jesus. It's not close my eyes, turn
my eyes from the ill to the good. Turn away my eyes from beholding
vanity. I want to think on things which
glorify God and does my soul good. There's much there, isn't
there? Turn away my eyes from beholding
vanity. Well secondly, as we draw to
a close, quicken thou me. Turn away mine eyes from beholding
vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way. Quicken me, Lord. At the root of the Hebrew word,
it is to live. But then we consider to revive,
to nourish up, to restore. And that implies there is a flagging. You know what that is like at
times. You may be on a long walk and it's hot and you're exhausted. How many could not bear the heat
just over a month ago? It wasn't long ago, was it, the
heatwave? I saw a picture of my youngest
niece back in the summer in that scorching heatwave. Her cheeks
were red and she was just hot and bothered. She looked exhausted. And I saw others as well. One's flagging. Sometimes we
can be flagging mentally. And then we can be flagging spiritually. One can know a measure of weakness.
The psalmist did. He desires this quickly. Quicken
thou me in thy way. One can feel weak within. At
times the mind seems to be going very slowly. You know what that's
like. It's just hard to concentrate
at times. It's hard to think, it's hard to get things together
in your mind. One can be tired mentally and
then there can be a dullness. One can struggle. Firstly, in affliction one can
find a way hard. Each step can be so difficult
as you wade on through the rivers of affliction. Quicken me Lord,
quicken thou me in my way. But the Lord is able, Psalm 119
verse 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust,
quicken thou me according to thy word. There's the psalmist,
he's cleaving to the dust, he's on the ground in affliction.
God is able to quicken him through the word. And that's made plain
in verse 50. This is my comfort in my affliction,
for thy words have quickened me. In affliction, you see the
Lord has come and the word has been applied and there's been
a reviving of the soul. That little reviving within. You can feel tired, weak. You're
facing the heat of affliction. But then the Lord sends that
little reviving. But then consider one can be
weakened through sin. One can be dulled through iniquity. Oh for that quickening, quickened
thou be in thy way. But then consider thirdly, a
quickening in the way of godliness. A quickening in the way of godliness. Puritan Thomas Manton speaks
of an enlivening in the way of holiness. The grace has been
put within. We were quickened, Ephesians
2 verse 1. We had new life. Principle of
Grace within and we can consider all those individual graces or
habits. All for our reviving. All for
those graces to be excited, to be quickened. See, at times,
our faith before the Lord seems small. How often did he say that
to his disciples? O ye of little faith, where is
your faith? Where's the exercise? And at
times, our faith appears small. Oh, for a reviving, a quickening
of that grace of faith, so that the eye opens further, as it
were. The eyelids of doubt go to one
side, and we so focus on the Lord. Oh for that exciting of
the love within. A quickening of our love. Just
pause and consider we're in this world and there's many a temptation.
And we can be finding it a struggle. As each temptation comes before
us and the world pulls at our hearts. Oh for that quickening
of the grace of love that we so love Christ. All for that quickening, so that
the graces within are excited and so we with a renewed strength,
quicken our pace in God's way. Quicken thou me in thy way. You may be on a long hot walk
and you're tired, you see the end in view, but you've got to
keep going, all for a revival. O we know the end is in view,
O for reviving on our journey. Quicken thou me in thy way. Help me to go in the way of godliness. Help me to see my duty. Help
me to walk humbly with thee. Quicken me, Lord. Psalm 119 verse
88. Quicken me after thy lovingkindness.
So shall I keep the testimony of thine. What favours display
when the Lord quickens us and helps us to go the way of godliness,
helps us to go the way of his word. Quicken thou me. Now consider how the Holy Spirit
entered your soul in the time of life, time of love, and life
was put within. where we pray then that the Holy
Spirit, who dwells within, would blow across the graces. That
there would be this quickening. Quicken thou me in thy word. That the Holy Spirit would so
work and apply the word. That the word would be brought
home and the graces would be stirred. Consider at this point, a quickening
in view of prayer. Just turn with me to Psalm 80
and verse 18. We sang those words a little
earlier. Psalm 80 and verse 18. Now the psalmist here is praying
for a quickening. Or we pray that the Lord will
quicken us to pray, that we might pray for a quickening. To pray
before praying. upon my neck, that little reviving,
and we're able to pray, and we pray for more quickening, for
more reviving. Oh, for that revival of our souls. There's many a temptation in
this world. Many things come before our eyes, and we can be
wary as we battle on through temptation. Oh, for reviving
of our souls. Do you see the need for it? We learn by experience. We need
that quickening. I do. I seem to get so tired
at times. I can know that mental dullness.
Oh, for a quickening. Oh, for a stirring. Quicken thou
me. Oh, to walk in more conformity
to God's word. Oh, to walk more closely to Christ. Quicken me, Lord, in thy way,
and quicken me so that my pace quickens in my adherence and
following of Christ. Turn away mine eyes and quicken
me. May the Lord grant us our request
and may help us. Amen. Let us come then to the
Lord in prayer.
Turn away mine eyes
Series Psalm 119 New Midweek Series
| Sermon ID | 101218437124 |
| Duration | 26:05 |
| Date | |
| Category | Midweek Service |
| Bible Text | Psalm 119:37 |
| Language | English |
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