Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

David recorded a number of spot-on prayers, and this is certainly one of them. A request for guidance must be accompanied by a commitment to obedience. The Bible has many statements on the importance of follow-through and the problems of hypocrisy, including Jesus’ famous question in Luke 6:46. As Joy Dawson taught so faithfully, God is more interested in guiding us than we are in being guided. If we are unaware of what He wants us to do, it means one of only three things: we are ignorant of the Bible, we don’t trust that the guidance we have received is really Him, or we aren’t committed to do whatever He shows us. As far as the Bible goes, David only had the Torah, but in the other two areas he was generally on track. He did have a problem, as we all do, of failing to seek God’s guidance in some areas. Had he done so, he would have been a much better parent, for example. Also, he certainly knew better than what he did with Bathsheba, but his repentance was genuine. Like him, we need to pray for undivided hearts. That’s part of the commitment to obedience. We are so easily distracted! Just two days ago the Lord pointed out to me that as long as we have a Plan B, we aren’t really trusting Him. It’s true that sometimes we might hear Him wrong, but God is more interested in our success than we are, and He is faithful.

This is something that has taken a long time to really work into me. I don’t feel I’m active enough in seeking God’s guidance, but He is the ultimate judge of that. There have been more times than I care to remember that I have been knowingly disobedient. Sometimes I haven’t bothered to ask, but sometimes I’ve known His will and done something else! I’m still growing, and my sermons are preached to me first. I want my hearers to receive and apply them, but I’d better be one of those hearers!

Father, right now it’s not so much a matter of needing guidance as it is of feeling overwhelmed with all there is to do. Help me hear You moment by moment as to what is to be done at that moment, not being anxious about the next thing that is to be done, I know from years of experience that if I will be quiet enough to listen and trust, then You will supply the time, skill, wisdom, and energy to get everything done on time. However, You know better than I do how much trouble I have doing that consistently! I ask for peace and joy, not just for me but for Cathy also, who if anything has more reason to be overwhelmed than I do! May we give You the worship of trusting obedience, today and every day, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!