[Psa 86:11-13 NIV] 11 Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.

Do you have an undivided heart? Do you want one? We only have to ask God for it, and He will be happy to give it. But first we must be willing for the Lord to teach us His way, and we must be willing to rely on His faithfulness. We must be willing to change and to let go whatever it is that is dividing our soul. The word in the Hebrew here is lebab and is defined as, “inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding”. The definition goes on to include, “A: The inner part, midst. i. midst (of things). ii. heart of man. iii. soul, heart (of man). iv. mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory. v. inclination, resolution, determination (of will). vi. conscience. vii. heart (of moral character). viii. as seat of appetites. xi. as seat of emotions and passions. x. as seat of courage” (Strong’s). It is hard to read through that list and not be convicted of having a divided heart before God.

When we are struggling with faithfulness we need to be teachable and realize that we can’t rely on ourselves. We have to rely on God. An undivided heart for God, a heart that will praise Him with all its being, is a gift from God. It is a gift that He will gladly give those who ask Him, because He loves us.

[Psa 86:2-6, 11-13 NIV] 2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you; save your servant who trusts in you. You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. 4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you. 5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. 6 Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy.

God is forgiving, and He is good. His love is abounding to all who call to Him. If you have a divided heart you likely lack joy in your life as well. Having a heart that is undivided for the Lord will bring you so much more happiness than anything else can. I have never been more happy than when I gave my undivided heart to God. It was when I wanted to serve myself and God that I started to suffer and started to lose my joy.

[Psa 86:7, 10, 16-17 NIV] 7 When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. … 10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. … 16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did. 17 Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

We all go through distress. We all have fallen from time to time. We all have experienced a divided heart. Thankfully though we can call on the Lord and He will answer us. If you are like me, and feel like you lack the strength to have an undivided heart before Him, ask Him for His strength. Ask Him to save you. You will find like I did that God will help you and He will be your comfort.