Psalm 86:11-13

How often do we simply read the words in front of us without letting them truly sink in? Or we say things flippantly because we know it's the "Christian thing" to say? If you read the verses below, are they something you can truly mean? Or are they just Christian phrases that have a nice ring to them?

Psalm 86:11-13 ~ "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave."

I think the two hardest aspects of these verses are the request for an undivided heart and the statement of praising God with all my heart.

If I ask for an undivided heart, does that mean I have to give up the things that might be in battle for Christ's spot in my heart? The hard truth is: absolutely yes. Which is why that statement is like a smack in the face. Am I willing to pray this and mean it? I sure hope so.

If I tell God I will praise Him with my whole heart, does that mean I have to stop giving my heart, time and energy to things that pull my attention away from my Savior? Again, the hard truth would be that, yes, I do.

But once I get past the things that I think bring me pleasure in the moment, I realize that my attention is much better spent giving my whole heart to the One who delivered me from the depths of the grave.