AN UNDIVIDED HEART
11th May 2016
David’s life was a mixture of great triumphs of faith, and bad mistakes which could have been avoided. I don’t know whether he was thinking over the ups and downs of his life when he wrote Psalm 86. But this is what came into my mind as I read verse 11, “Give me and undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
We all know the incredible story of David and Goliath. David has been sent by his father to bring some food and encouragement to his brothers who were in Saul’s army. As he arrives at the battle ground Goliath is shouting out his taunts and ridicule. The army is full of fear and in disarray, David hears the threats, faith rises in his heart and he volunteers to go into action. As he approaches the giant, he declares, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45)
Here is singleness of heart, he knows that with God all things are possible, he walks forward in faith knowing that when you are in the will of God victory is assured.
This same man of faith has decided to stay at home at the time when kings go to war. One evening he is walking around on the roof of his house when he sees Bathsheba bathing in her garden. His flesh rises, he commits adultery, and to try and cover his sin has her husband killed in battle. What a mess.
He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he is tempted, and rather than going to God for resources his lets the flesh run riot with disastrous consequences. Surely those thoughts were dominating his mind as he prayed, “Give me an undivided heart.”
Every day in our lives we are being faced with impossible situations which require us to cry out to God for his resources. We also face temptations, which if succumbed to could ruin our lives. God has the power to give us victory and also to protect us from temptation.
by Charles Sibthorpe
