Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Single-mindedness

Single-mindedness

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 86:11Yesterday, I shared about the first half of this verse, "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth;" Today, I want to consider the second part of the verse, "give me an undivided heart..."When I read this verse that day in my friend's home, 15 years ago, this is the part of the verse that immediately struck me. An undivided heart - yes, Lord, yes that is what I want. I suffer from a divided heart. So many things vie for my attention and time that I find I am "multi-minded" rather than "single-minded".

If we had a single focus, a single purpose, a united heart that is totally devoted to The Lord Jesus Christ oh, how glorious that would be. You may ask, "How can that be? How would we get anything done? Isn't that going a little overboard? Do we have to be so fanatical?" Oh, sister, dear sister, having an undivided heart will not hinder us from getting things accomplished that are part of God's agenda. It will not render us useless to our family or to the world. We won't be sitting on a cloud playing the harp. No, rather is will cause us to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty with the things of God. It will help us prioritize those things that are of greatest importance and eliminate those things that serve to distract us. It will intensify our focus and bring clarity of purpose. It will actually simplify life as we filter everything, every decision, every action, every choice through the grid "will this unite my heart or divide my heart?" Psalm 86:11b

Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name... NIVPut me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear ... The MsgDirect and unite my heart [solely, reverently] to fear and honor Your name... AmplifiedGrant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.. New Living TranslationUnite my heart to fear thy name... King James Version

Unite my heart to fear your name... English Standard Version

Diane Hunt

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