"Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name." Ps. 86:11.
The translators of scriptures seem divided on how to translate this phrase. For instance, the NASB says, “Unite my heart to fear your name.” The CEB gives a more general sense, “Make my heart focused only on honouring your name.” Eugene Peterson (MSG) gives us this colourful rendering: “Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I’ll worship in joyful fear.” I like the message translation. “Put me together, Lord……" “Unite my heart to fear your name.”“Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” The first speaks of my need. The second speaks of my desire. Because my heart is so often divided, I need the Lord to unite it somehow so that I might worship him with nothing held back. That is the situation many of us face right now. Our hearts are fragmented because we are pulled in so many directions at once.
In Matt. 13 Jesus told a parable about a man who went out to sow seed. Some fell on the path, some on the stony ground, some among the thorns, and some on the good ground. When Jesus explained the parable, he said that the four soils represented four responses to the message of the kingdom. Let’s focus on the seed sown among the thorns. Here is that part of the parable: “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” Matt. 13:7. And this is the explanation: “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” Matt.b13:22.
If you have ever planted a garden, you understand what Jesus is saying. No matter how good the soil may appear from above, weeds lurk just below the surface. If you do not pull them up, they will choke out the seed you have planted. Jesus said that some people are like that. They never pull the weeds out of their life. In this parable Jesus mentions two particular kinds of weeds. First, the worries of this life. This refers to any consuming concern in your life that catches all your attention. It could be something that in itself is not bad–such as a genuine concern for your job or your health or your personal financial situation. Second, there is the deceitfulness of wealth. Again, we all understand this. Money is addictive. The more you have, the more you want to have. The conclusion remains, unite your heart with the Lord and let Him control and manage you for a profitable lifestyle. Selah!
FURTHER READING:
"For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." James. 1:7-8.
"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." James. 4:8.
DECLARATION:
Dear Abba Father, Thank You for a new day in this new week. I speak goodness and blessedness into this week. It is not permitted to harbour evil against me. I declare in the name of Jesus that I am stepping into new things in God. I walk in favour with God and man, and I will possess all the portions God has set aside for me. There will be no holdups, no holdouts, no setbacks or delays. I will not look back to return to the old. Father, cause me to ascend into new realms of power and authority and access new dimensions of divine revelation. Breathe new life into every dormant dream. In the name of Jesus, amen.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Rev. 4:1-11.
Rev. 5:1-14.
Rev. 6:1-17.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
"You May Only Be Remembered For Two Things, The Problems You Solved Or The Ones You Created."
