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What Does Your Heart Look Like?

by Justin Smith on June 29, 2022

Scripture

"Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever." (Psalm 86:11-12)

Observation

Our American society is very familiar with having a divided heart. It says things like, “If you don’t like your favorite team change it, if you aren’t happy with your spouse leave them, and if you’re dissatisfied with your company jump ship”. For some this same “have it your way” mentality has seeped into our relationship with God. Society says, “If you don’t like what God says change it, if you aren’t happy with God then leave Him, and if you’re dissatisfied with Christianity then jump ship.” Sadly, when our hearts are encouraged and swayed to be divided and not fully committed to God and His Truth we will never experience the fullness, the joy, the blessing of truly following Jesus.

In Psalm 86 we find David facing some tough times, and his response was to bring his hardships to God. He asks for God’s protection, and mercy, and joy and affirms his commitment to Him.  David then makes 2 requests:

  1. Teach me your way
  2. Give me an undivided heart

In essence David says: tell me what to do and then change my heart so I want to do it...

and keep wanting to do it.

Knowing God’s commands and promises is critical to our walk, but I wonder if that’s not where we get tripped up. I wonder if most the time we know what to do but because our hearts are prone to being divided we aren’t committed to actually doing it. We aren’t committed to obedience when it hurts, and we aren’t committed to purity when we don’t feel like it. Or maybe we’re consumed...consumed by the tv hanging on our wall, or the phone sitting in our pocket, or the video game console sitting on our shelf which divides...divides our hearts, our attention, our affection, and our desire to worship God and fear His name.

Application

For many of us, we might not think that we have a divided heart, but I wonder if maybe we are more divided than we realize. For me a great “Divided Test” starts with two simple questions:

  • What has consumed the majority of my time?
  • What has consumed the majority of my thoughts?

I love how David followed up his request by saying “I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart...” I wonder if David realized that praising God in his circumstances, no matter how difficult, was key to ensuring his heart stayed undivided. May my prayers echo David’s as I commit to learning His ways, uniting my heart, and praising through every circumstance that I might live for Him.

Prayer

Jesus, please forgive me for having a heart that is divided. I am aware that my flesh and its desires often get in the way of my commitment to obedience, to purity, and to righteous living. Please not only forgive my sins but, as David prayed, show me Your ways and grant me an undivided heart that I might fear Your name and praise You no matter the circumstances. In Your name, Amen!

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