Single-hearted

      By Fern Horst

"Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore." (Psalm 86:11-12)

I don't know about you, but I find that the attentions of my heart easily become disjointed and scattered as I go about my daily life. I have various interests and responsibilities that draw my attention this way and that. I also acknowledge that while my heart is yielded to the Holy Spirit's control, I have an enemy who would love to destroy my wholehearted devotion to the Lord.

So I guess there's no wonder that while my heart is committed to serving God with my whole being, that I also at times succumb to the temptation to pursue my own interests and endeavors. I think perhaps my most frequent failure is allowing feelings of discontent, worthlessness, and lack of belonging to put a damper on my passion for serving Christ in the ways He has called me to serve Him. When I start focusing on my feelings and circumstances, I start sinking quickly - just like Peter trying to walk on the water - because my eyes are no longer focused on Jesus.

I realize that my prayer must be the same as the Psalmists': "Unite my heart to fear thy name." I truly need God's grace to unite my heart, so that all of its intents and purposes are centered around living for Him. It is then that I can see my life through His eyes - that some of the very things about my life that I am discontent with, He is using both to conform me to His image and to equip me to minister to others.

As I look at these two verses I realize that the key to allowing the Holy Spirit full control to unite my heart is in praising God with all my being. I know from experience that as I praise Him for all that He is and all that He does, I am focused on the Lord rather than myself. The Holy Spirit then brings unity within my being to fulfill God's purposes in my life. Have you noticed that same connection for yourself?

When I fail in my intention to praise God and remain single-hearted in my devotion to Him, I am very grateful that I'm not immediately and eternally doomed. God's mercy is new every morning. At any given moment we have the opportunity to start fresh in our commitment to be united in heart to fear God's name.

"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah." (Psalm 84:2-4)

© 2006 Fern Horst

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