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 recognized the common human condition of being indecisive, and he wanted his decisions to come down on the side of God’s truth. This is a very wise prayer! We need to remember that David didn’t have most of even the Old Testament as we know it, and he certainly didn’t have his own personal copy of even the Books of Moses at least until he was king, if then. We have the huge advantage of the ready availability of the whole Bible, but the question then becomes, do we use it? We too need to pray this prayer! The statement of intent in the second line is vital to receiving the request of the first line. If we aren’t going to live out what God shows us, why would He show it to us? Again in the second half of the verse, the stated purpose of being decisive is to be in right relationship to God. It’s no good to be decisively in rebellion against God! Some of David’s Psalms are pegged to specific events in his life, but more are not. It is interesting to see his spiritual growth, but it is clear that the consistent thread throughout his life was his awareness that God was real, that He cared, and that it made a difference how David acted and responded to Him. We need to have that thread in our own lives! Just as David slipped up at times, sometimes very badly, we too will not be perfect, but our goal, our purpose, must be to walk in God’s truth.

I haven’t gone off the rails as far as David did, but then I’ve had less excuse, because I was raised from birth with the Bible to teach me God’s ways. Indecision is sometimes a problem for me, as I think it is for everyone, but I’m very grateful to have the foundation principle of doing what God wants. I’m indecisive only when I’m unsure exactly what that is. I’ve learned – and I’m still learning – to hear God in many different ways: through the Bible of course, but also through circumstances and through people around me and even through secular fiction and articles. I can’t say my decisions have always been accurate, but God has been remarkably faithful in guiding me. My heart is divided only when I take my eyes off of my Lord and fix them on my circumstances and my flesh. When I fear God, that is, acknowledge Him as transcendent over everything, then decisions become much easier and more accurate.

Father, thank You for this reminder. We’ll be needing to make some decisions today about church programs and activities. Help us all turn to You as David did in this verse, so that we may do Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!