Message summary: Do you see the worthless things surrounding you today? 

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“Turn my eyes away from worthless things” (Psalm 119:37).

We both grew up in the Midwest far from the ocean. I saw the ocean a couple of times in my childhood, both the Atlantic and Pacific. But Brooksyne's first ocean sighting was in her early twenties shortly after we were married. Somewhere we have a photo of us on the beach that was taken with a timer long before we could have imagined selfies as we know them now. It was along the Delaware shore at Bethany Beach as I recall.

I suppose our favorite shore sighting is the lighthouse. We've seen lighthouses up and down both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. If there is a lighthouse anywhere near the location we're visiting we go see it if possible.

On Wednesday we were at St. Michaels Maryland along the Chesapeake Bay where I saw on Google maps there was a "Sharps Island Lighthouse Viewing Area" on Tilghman Island so we headed off to see it. We crossed onto the island via drawbridge and down to nearly the end of the island.

After we arrived we saw a large parking area with a rather ugly tower that I assumed was the lighthouse. I pointed it out to Brooksyne and she was quite underwhelmed, as she responded "Really?!" We were both rather disappointed after making the 15 mile trek from Saint Michaels to see it. It sure didn't look like any lighthouse we had ever seen.

Well, it turns out I hadn't thoroughly done my homework. The lighthouse was actually off the shore in Chesapeake Bay, but we never saw it, since we assumed the tower was the lighthouse! So the lighthouse photo below is not my photo but rather from Google maps! It's leaning due to a condition caused by an ice flow in 1977. I wonder how one's equilibrium would hold up if assigned to this lighthouse for any length of time.

Today's attempt to get a spiritual lesson out of our assumed lighthouse sighting may admittedly be a bit convoluted. It can be that way for preachers having a story (illustration) to tell, a good illustration in search of a lesson!

One of our area's very large churches will have a special service a week from Sunday where they will feature a horse and a "horse-whisperer". The last two days we have spoken to different people excited about the service and it does sound interesting. But the question is, what will this illustrate? Brooksyne has suggested something to do with the scripture: "If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well" (James 3:3).

Several weeks ago we had Jack and Chris over for a visit. They were members of the church we served in Saint Marys, PA over 30 years ago and they recalled several of my creative sermon illustrations from that age. I guess they were memorable but neither of us could recall the theme of what I was illustrating!*

Now, our assumed lighthouse was not worthless. It had some function as a lookout tower during the Second World War and according to the sign is still used by the Navy. But it certainly was never intended to be a lighthouse.

We are all capable of turning our eyes to that which is at best comparatively worthless compared to Christ. Consider the first daily verse as a personal prayer: “Turn my eyes away from worthless things".

It is found in the midst of the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, comprising 176 verses divided into 22 sections, each corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Sometimes when reading through a longer section of the Bible we can easily miss some spiritual nuggets. We don’t necessarily ponder each phrase or consider its meaning for our lives. I have a good minister friend who did a verse by verse study on this long chapter which reminded me of the importance of chewing on each precious morsel of God’s Word.

The Psalmist was wise in identifying one of the ways we are distracted from those things that are most important.  Are there worthless things that beckon your attention today. Redeem the time and use it wisely by sorting out that which is worthless from that which is worthwhile.

Be encouraged today!  Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber