Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.

The anonymous author of this Psalm went through a pretty rough time, but in the process he learned something very important, that he expresses here. God allows us to go through all sorts of stuff, but never to be mean to us. He always desires that we grow, that we learn to depend on Him and not on material things. We also need to learn that our choices and actions have consequences. If that weren’t the case, He wouldn’t have needed to send His Son to die, to take the penalty for our sins. The lesson the Psalmist expresses here is very simple: if you want God to listen to you, you need to put Him ahead of your sins. We all tend to have sins that are particularly attractive to us, that “easily ensnare” us. (Hebrews 12:1) That’s what the Psalmist is talking about here. With some people, that sin is obvious, and we often call it addiction. There are sometimes physical factors there, but the fundamental issue is spiritual. There are far more addictions than just the chemical ones to which we generally apply that term. What the Psalmist is saying here is that if you place your addiction ahead of God, you can’t expect Him to listen to you. In one sense He hears absolutely everything, but a favorable response depends on our heart attitude.

I had the awareness of God hearing absolutely everything from a very young age, but that didn’t keep my priorities straight! I cherished all sorts of things, letting them come between me and obedience to God. And in my stupid pride, I thought I was entirely justified in doing so! Thankfully, God has been incredibly patient with me, and at this point I pray the first few lines of the Lord’s Prayer frequently, sometimes several times in a day. I have learned that God’s name being acknowledged as holy and His rule and reign being established through His will being done is far more important, and better, than anything else at all. My priorities have certainly shifted, and I am deeply grateful. The fellowship with my Lord that I taste now gives me a huge anticipation of heaven, where nothing at all will stand between us. Until then, I must keep humble and careful watch over my priorities, so they won’t cause any break in our relationship.

Father, I keep coming back to amazement at Your grace toward me. I don’t deserve any of it, but then, that’s part of the definition of grace! Help me be a faithful steward of all You pour out on my, so that others as well may be drawn to You in repentance and faith, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!