“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1 ESV).
Job made a covenant with his eyes not to gaze at a young woman. His “covenant” (“pledge, sacred promise”) was with God and with his wife, that his eyes belonged to God and to his wife alone. He had predetermined what he would allow his eyes to look and linger upon. Because he had made a covenant that restricted his vision, it helped him avoid the temptation to covet or lust.
My mother used to sing a song to me when I was very young called, “Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.” She would point at my eyes and sing:
“O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see”
The song also had verses for the ears, the tongue, the hands, and so on. It not only taught the child a spiritual truth about avoiding temptation, but also the names of the different members of the body.
It is an accepted fact that men are often more susceptible to visual stimulus than women. Yet both can make a covenant with their eyes to help protect them from temptation.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we have made a covenant with our eyes. Help us to look away from that which tempts us to sin. We pray as the Lord Jesus taught us. Lead us not into temptation, but delivers us from evil. Our spirits our willing but our flesh is weak; therefore, we pray for Your strength. In Jesus’ name, amen.