Psalm 119:30 – 40; Proverbs 4:25
Key Verse: Psalms 119:37 “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things…” (NIV)

We live in a Visual Society, where almost everything has gone digital making it possible to access information through the Internet quickly. In our world today, there are YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and thousands of apps to feed our eyes. Your eyes are the portals of your soul, so guard them seriously, lest they cause you to sin against God. Satan will tempt you from any angle he can, and your eyes are no exception. Remember how Satan got Eve to look at the forbidden fruit. Genesis 3:6 says, “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, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6).

Solomon’s warning to his son in Proverbs is worth thinking about: “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you” (Proverbs 4:25). Eve didn’t let her eyes look directly forward and her gaze be straight before her.
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I stopped to wonder why the psalmist had to offer this prayer in Psalms 119:37. It then occurred to me that he had a very disheartening experience the last time his eyes were unguarded. When David was on his rooftop and looked down and saw a woman bathing, he didn’t look away. He, too, failed to turn away his eyes from looking at worthless things. In other words, he didn’t flee temptation. So, when God tells us, “Turn away your eyes from looking at worthless things,” He is telling us to guard our eyes by watching what we expose ourselves to. David’s wrong looking led him to his worst nightmare. One sin led to another and eventually, he ended up as an unfaithful husband and a murderer. Worst still, he was told that because of that infamous act, “the sword shall not depart from your house forever” (2 Samuel 12:10).

Recalling those ugly pictures, King David had no desire for such an experience again, so he prayed, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things…”. Worthless things in our case will include pornography, horoscopy, monies offered in bribery, leaked examination scripts, etc. It could be for the same reason that Job had to cut a covenant. Hear him, “I have made a covenant with my eyes that I will not look lustfully upon a maid” (Job 31:1).

Unfortunately, we live in a world today, where both the old and young constantly feed their eyes with dangerous images. These visions eventually affect their lives and pull them away from the Christian race. Watch what you see! The Devil is still seeking whom to devour. Fix your eyes on things that pertain to the Lord. You must guard your eyes lest you fall into temptation and sin against God. Jesus said in Mathew 5:28, that, if you look on a woman lustfully, you commit adultery in your hearts. Adultery! That’s serious. It might just be a lustful glance. It might only last a few seconds, but it’s a serious sin.

Are you guarding your eyes, when you watch your television? When you’re at work or in a secret place? Do you turn off impure programmes, such as, pornography, on TV/internet? You must learn to press the “Switch Off Button,” whenever your eyes gaze on unholy things. Fix your eyes on things that will help you grow spiritually, morally and intellectually.

Your heart is connected to your eyes. You guard your heart by guarding your eyes. Be vigilant and on guard. Pursue purity of heart and eyes.

Today’s Nugget: Unguarded eyes betray the heart.
Prayer: Lord, help me to turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, so that I will be clean and pure in Jesus name, Amen.