A Heart's Cry

"Teach me Your way, O Lord,
          that I may walk in Your truth;
          unite my heart to fear Your name."
                         (Psalm 86:11, ESV)

The first time I read this verse out of the ESV it struck me in a way it never had before. The words were just different enough from what was familiar that I listened again.

David is the writer of this psalm. He is calling out to God for God to hear and answer him. David praises God's love, forgiveness, compassion, and faithfulness.

David is often referred to as a man after God's own heart and I think this verse from Psalm 86 is a glimpse into why. David want to know God's ways and he wants to walk in them. He wants a heart that worships God alone.

There's a few things in this verse that stood out to me as I have reflected on it.


"Teach me Your way, O Lord . . ."

This is a request to know God's ways. Our requests often become more of a "God, please bless my plans," rather than asking God what His plans are for us. But, it is when we are seeking God's ways that life is what God created it to be.


". . . that I may walk in Your truth . . ."

Walking in God's ways is the way to live the life He desires for us to live. The way we know God's truth is to seek Him and ask Him. God wants us to walk according to the truth, not according to the lies we so easily believe. We have to regularly ask God what His truth is so we can replace the lies we've been living by with God's truth.


". . . unite my heart to fear Your name."

I love the use of the word "unite" here. It's a picture of many things that have been going in different directions being brought together as one to all go in the same direction. That direction being to worship God.

These words are often my heart's cry. That God would bring together all the parts of me that are running in different directions. It's easy to let everything go, but there is great value in bringing it all together with God.


I don't know about you, but the more I reflect on this verse, the more it becomes my prayer.


"Teach me Your ways, O Lord,
          that I may walk in Your truth;
          unite my heart that I may fear Your name."
                         (Psalm 86:11, ESV)