Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
The verse belongs to a psalm that exalts God's law as the ruling power of life, with God's Word laying out the principles of righteousness and drawing a clear line between right and wrong and between truth and error. It is a prayer for God to turn the eyes away from beholding vanity — empty, worthless things — and to quicken, to give new life in His way and path as He directs, thus joining the turning away from what is worthless with renewed spiritual life and a desire to follow God's path. That turning and quickening expresses a consecration of heart and mind to God, the very consecration He asks His servants to make. It shows the deliberate choice to turn the eyes from frivolous and sinful things and to devote time to God's service. It is a prayer to be continually offered by the Lord's servants, and to be studied by young men and women to encourage a spirit that desires to heed the way of the Lord.
The verse belongs to a psalm that exalts God's law as the ruling power of life, with God's Word laying out the principles of righteousness and drawing a clear line between right and wrong and between truth and error.
It is a prayer for God to turn the eyes away from beholding vanity — empty, worthless things — and to quicken, to give new life in His way and path as He directs, thus joining the turning away from what is worthless with renewed spiritual life and a desire to follow God's path.
That turning and quickening expresses a consecration of heart and mind to God, the very consecration He asks His servants to make.
It shows the deliberate choice to turn the eyes from frivolous and sinful things and to devote time to God's service.
It is a prayer to be continually offered by the Lord's servants, and to be studied by young men and women to encourage a spirit that desires to heed the way of the Lord.