“Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11
Our small group is currently reading through the Bible chronologically in one year, and it has been such an incredible journey so far. The discipline of reading a portion of Scripture every day has grown my faith and deepened my love for God’s Word. I look forward to it each day, and I don’t like missing a day. What’s fun about reading through the Bible chronologically is that you see a bit more clearly how everything pieces together. We’re right in the middle of the life of David now, and I have loved reading through the different Psalms that he wrote as he faced his many ups and downs that are recorded in the Old Testament. He wasn’t perfect by any stretch, but his love for God is so beautifully depicted throughout the Psalms.
Today, my eyes fell upon the above verse, and my heart responded with fervent agreement. More than anything, I want to walk in the truth and live my life daily relying on the faithfulness of God. I want to be found desperate for Him to such a degree that I can be one whose heart is undivided. That word jumped off the page at me: undivided. We live in a world where anything and everything vies for our attention and distracts us from what was meant to be our first love – Jesus Christ. The cell phone rings off the hook, the emails never stop pouring in, the kids are in constant need of our attention, the refrigerator needs to be stocked, the house needs to be cleaned, and the world keeps spinning around. Our busy days turn into weeks, months, and years, and we find ourselves wondering where the time went and why we’re not where we wanted to be – in our careers, in our relationships and most importantly in our faith.
This beautiful prayer of David in Psalm 86 is truly the cry of his heart. He desires to walk in truth and faithfulness. He longs to be 100% sold out to God so that he will fear the Lord in all things. Above all else, he wants nearness to the Lord. This got me thinking. What are my greatest desires, my deepest longings? What are yours? Are they self-driven goals and aspirations or are they soul-driven longings? Do we wake up each day with a burning desire to please the Lord and to be near to His presence? Do my choices, my words, and my actions display an undivided heart? Or have I allowed the temporary things of this world to distract my heart from the eternal treasures that await me?
I love how the English Standard Version writes this verse:
“Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name.”
If our hearts are united to the heart of God, it is then that we fear the Lord and walk in truth. And that is where I want to be found – next to David in the line of the faithful.
Cherie –
Thank you for this thought today! It is exactly where I am right now feeling the struggles of being a mom, a grandma, a wife, a daughter, a provider and longing to be doing something that is going to make an eternal difference in someone’s life but life is consumed with “life things”. Thanks for the reminder to be undivided… not an easy thing but a better goal and more fulfilling than what this world has to offer!