Tuesday, September 6, 2011

An Undivided Heart

In Psalm 86 David prays to God to give him an undivided heart.  Verse 11 reads "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." (NIV)  David wants to be completely focused on God's truth.  When we are divided we want to spend time with God but there are menus to plan, houses to clean, children demanding our attention and more than enough bills to pay.  How can we have an undivided heart in today's world?  Why can't we have the simple life that existed in David's time?  David was a king.  He did not have anything to do - just sit in his castle and run a country.  He could focus on God anytime he wanted to - or could he?  He writes about his enemies.  They were often fighting battles.  He pleads with God to protect him.  But David was a man after God's own heart.  An undivided heart came naturally to him.  But did it?  He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then committed murder to cover it up.  Was this the heart of a man completely focused on God?  David prays for an undivided heart so that he could fear God's name.  He was not perfect.  Still, he asked God to teach him.  Are we teachable?  Do we yearn for an undivided heart?  Yes, it is difficult when the pressures of this world seem to be calling louder than God is but we must keep asking God to teach us.  He is faithful and will help us draw closer to him if we will only ask.  Let us pray daily with David for an undivided heart.