Undivided Heart

July 14

Psalm 86.11-17

Teach me your way, O Lord,

 that I may walk in your truth;

   give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,

 and I will glorify your name for ever.

For great is your steadfast love towards me;

   you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, the insolent rise up against me;
   a band of ruffians seeks my life,
   and they do not set you before them.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
   give your strength to your servant;
   save the child of your serving-maid.
Show me a sign of your favour,
   so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
   because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

For the most part, I appreciate these verses.  Verse 14 takes me a bit by surprise; I wonder what this psalm writer is experiencing to say that “the insolent rise up against” him; “a band of ruffians seeks my life.” It almost sounds like a political leader speaking about those who oppose him, calling them insolent and ruffians.

Apart from that verse though I really appreciate the words of this psalm.  “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart.”  Asking God to “teach me” is a common phrase in the psalms.  There is a desire to know God’s way – not so much out of curiosity but more of a sense of commitment, so that the person can live it out. 

I am struck by the number of people who are experts on any number of topics.  One thing that social media like Facebook and Twitter have done is created experts out of anyone who wants to be an expert.  Those who have given their life to study an area – it seems particularly science or theology – are viewed with skepticism, while a “friend” who never really liked the sciences becomes an “expert” because they looked something up on the computer, regardless of the source. 

Teach me so that I may walk in your truth.  Those words bring to the conversation between Jesus and Pilate when Jesus is on trial and Pilate asks:  What is truth?  And then Jesus statement to his disciples:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”    How do we walk in the truth that is Jesus?

“Give me an undivided heart.”   As I often do I read this psalm in a different Bible to see how it reads.  The Bible I turned to has lots of study notes and it has a full page of about 8 point font on the word “heart” in the psalms.  Of course it states right up front that the term “heart” never refers to a physical organ but refers to the self.  The word “heart” is used some 117 times in the psalms.  This psalm is one example. 

“Give me an undivided heart.”  I think this psalm writer knows how easy it us for us as people to have divided hearts.  We say one thing, we do another.  We want one thing; we don’t want to do the work for it.  We pray for something, but don’t’ change our actions. 

It is like this psalm writer recognizes that we are in need of teaching, but recognizes that our hearts are divided and unable on their own to walk in God’s ways.  But notice that there is a confidence that God will do exactly that.  Because the next verse says:  I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart.”  No longer is the heart divided.

As you go through your day, think about the heart; times when your heart has been divided; times when your heart has been broken; times when your heart has felt full and whole.  And then think about how God has been at work in each of those times in your life. 

Let us pray:  Gracious God, when your Son called out to you in the time of trouble, you heard him and brought him out of the pit of death to the glory of the resurrection.  Give strength to your servants whom you have raised with him to new life, that with undivided hearts we may worship you and tell the glory of your name; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.