“Teach me Your way, Lord, that I might rely on Your faithfulness, give me an undivided heart, that I might fear Your name.” (Psalm 86:11 NIV)
This has long been one of my favorite scriptures. My understanding has been rooted in the idolatry that constantly plagued the Israelites. Their hearts tugged between serving the One True God and bowing before idols. This context doesn’t render our text outdated; quite the opposite, actually. It begs us to search out our own heart divisions: to examine the things that send us away from God and toward our flesh.
After a lot of soul-searching, I have identified my own tendencies in heart betrayal. They center around appetites, approval, affections and apprehensions. These are the things that quake across my heart and send deep cracks into my devotion. I haven’t thoroughly conquered any of these tendencies, but I am aware and engaging in battle every day against their stake on my soul.
In the Restoration Year devotional, John Eldredge points out additional meaning in this verse. For full months, he’s been writing about brokenness; both cause and effect. He has led the reader to the truth that God alone can make us whole. Yesterday, he pointed out how James calls us ‘double-minded’ but a more accurate translation of the Greek might be ‘split-souled’. This resonates with me. I can feel the splits in the core of my being – the places I long to serve God but still struggle. John offers us the thought that an ‘undivided’ heart is a healed a heart. This makes sense. A healed heart has learned to fully rely on God’s faithfulness instead of our own.
Our God is undivided. There’s no separation, no departure from His goodness. It is only within the context of relationship with God that we will begin to find healing. He alone can suture the gashes in our heart and bring it back together to beat as one, unified muscle. We move towards wholeness when we move towards Him. He is willing and able, ready to heal.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8 NIV)
Lord, we are embarrassed by our brokenness but glad to know the Healer. Help us as we learn to expose our wounded souls to You. Press Your Spirit into the cracks of our heart. Pull us back together by Your faithfulness. Heal what we could never heal on our own. Give us an undivided heart. Make us whole again. Amen.