Subject: Keeping my heart pure - Psalm 119

Psalms 119:36-37 (ESV Strong's)
Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.

Subject:  Keeping my heart pure

Psalms 119 is all about God's Word.   In all but two of the 170+ verses God's Word is referred to in one term or another.  Laws, Rules, Commandments, Ways, Word, Precepts, and Statues are just a few terms used to describe God's Word.   In the two above verses Testimonies and Ways are used.   The writer is telling us that all good things in life revolve around how we handle and obey and observe and integrate God's Word into our lives.  In the two verses above we see the writer asking God to make sure his heart is "inclined" to God's Word and that he does not look at worthless things instead of God's Word.   The word "incline" has a deep meaning in the Hebrew language.   It means to stretch something as to move it toward one thing or another.   The writer of Hebrews realizes that his heart is naturally bent upon the self and the worthless.   He knows that if he is going to change his world-life-view he will need God's help to bend his heart toward God's Word and God's ways vs.his own inward passions.   Like a plant in the window bending toward the rays of the sun, so, too, he wants his heart to bend toward God's Word.  Yet, we are not naturally bent that way.   We should bend toward God.   However, we don't have the strength or aptitude to do so.  We need God to bend it for us.   That should be our prayer ever day.