237 - An Unending River

Psalm 119:33–37 (NASB)Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,And I shall observe it to the end.Give me understanding, that I may observe Your lawAnd keep it with all my heart.Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,For I delight in it.Incline my heart to Your testimoniesAnd not to dishonest gain.Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,And revive me in Your ways.I remember exactly where I was when I first read these verses and how a melody immediately came to mind. It became a song for Scripture Songs Volume 2 and you’ll hear it at the end of this episode.As I read Psalm 119:33–37 in the NASB, the NIV, and the NLT, something caught my attention: two phrases remain unchanged — “all my heart” and “to the end.”James Boice wrote that “to the end” means without time limit, and “with all my heart” means without reservation.Another phrase stood out too: “Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity.” Many translations render it “worthless things.” There really is a war over our eyes—over where we set our gaze. Not every “worthless thing” is sinful, but when comparison or discontent rises in us, those things may be climbing into a place they were never meant to have.Psalm 119:37Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,And revive me in Your ways.May God redirect our gaze, revive our hearts, and help us follow Him—to the end and with all our heart. I’ll close with the song, “With All My Heart.”If you would like to support this podcast with a monthly or one-time gift, thank you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sherriyoungward.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To find out about upcoming gatherings and new projects, please join my email list at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.sherriyoungward.com