“Teach me your way, O LORD
And I will walk in your truth
Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11
Divided is defined as:
- To separate or become separated into parts
- To classify or group
- To separate into opposing factions
- To cause to cut be cut off
When applied to our hearts, divided is a scary place.
It is making many compartments of my heart and allowing God his own room, but not the whole house, so to speak, of my heart. In Psalms we see that God wants the whole house, or the whole of our hearts.
Look at the same verse from Psalm 86 from Eugene Peterson in the Message:
“Train me; God, to walk straight,
then I’ll follow your true path.
Put me together, one heart and mind
then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear.”
Being undivided in heart, in faith, in purpose, in how I will think, walk, and live, seems important, doesn’t it?
What if your resolve this New Year was just that: Lord, I want an undivided heart!
Often this is not something we just “will” ourselves in to.
It’s a bit more complicated than that, because we are complicated and compartmentalized.
But, it’s God, all powerful, who by His Spirit can put that new undivided heart into place and motion.
Listen:
Ezekiel 36:33
” I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.”
What do we do with our divided hearts?
Come to God and express the need for help. Ask Him to make you a woman with one sole vision, purpose and heart….the heart to be ALL for Him, and to receive Him as your all.
Don’t rush or stress to try and fix your heart…come to Jesus with it.
Give yourself time and space to notice the divisions, then one by one give them over to God.
Admit the truth about where you are at to Him, ” Jesus this is what is true about me, in my life right now. I am tripped up by….I am divided with….Now, Lord please work in me. What are you going to do about this, about me and all that I am giving over to you?” Then listen….reflect, listen again. He will begin working and showing you what His desires are for you and to do in you.
Acknowledgement is the first step.
Today, according to Scripture, can we all acknowledge that we need an undivided heart?
Today’s Prayer
Father,
I know that I need you to work in me. I don’t want to be divided into many compartments…family, work, ministry, fun. I want to be always and every moment in one single place, with you…obedient to you, listening for you…walking in you. Jesus give me an undivided heart. Do in me what needs to be done to get to that place, show me what might need to be handed over to you for this to happen.
