Psalm 119: Personal Revival
Wednesday, November 14
Vs. 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
We have talked about the need for personal revival as seen in verse 25, “my soul clings to the dust,” and as a response, like Isaiah’s in Isaiah 6:5, to the glorious holiness of God.
Now we turn our attention to Psalm 119:37’s emphasis upon our need for revival because we fill our sight, vision, imagination and contemplations with worthless things rather than with the face of God.
Have you considered what we might call “Godly visual nutrition?”
The challenges of consistently eating healthful nutrition are well known.
- I don’t know what is healthful and therefore make poor nutritional choices.
- I do know what is healthful and therefore make good nutritional choices.
- I do know what is healthful but don’t have the discipline to make good nutritional choices.
- I do know what is healthful but don’t really seem to care. At all.
Although never called “Godly visual nutrition” in the Bible, the concept is powerful in the lives of both Bible heroes and villains.
Eve and Adam represented all human beings in the battle for “Godly visual nutrition” in their colossal Genesis 3:6 failure.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
David struggled with “Godly Visual Nutrition.”
It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 2 Samuel 11:2
Achan lost the battle for “Godly Visual Nutrition.”
21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels,[a]then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.” Joshua 7:21
John warns us about ungodly visual nutrition.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 1 John 2:16
An entry level dimension of “Godly Visual Nutrition” begins with making a covenant with one’s eyes.
“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin? Job 31:1
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. Daniel 1:8
A second dimension of “Godly Visual Nutrition” includes consuming NO visual junk food.
I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. Psalm 101:3
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 2 Samuel 11:2
A third dimension of “Godly Visual Nutrition” includes the Word of God.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:20, 21
A fourth dimension of “Godly Visual Nutrition” is the Person and Presence of God.
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4
My soul was stirred significantly by an experience Pastor Francis Chan had with a pastor from India.
“Moses went up the mountain to meet with God. In our generation God invites every Christian to climb the mountain to personally meet with God. But American pastors are content to stay at the foot of the mountain and take selfies with celebrities rather than climb the mountain of God themselves.”
We have need of Psalm 119 personal revival because:
- Our soul clings to the dust. 25
- We have seen the extreme holiness of God. Isaiah 6
- We have filled our eyes with worthless things. 37
Lord, turn my eyes from worthless things and give me life in your ways. Vs. 37