Fully Devoted

In Psalm 19:12-13, David writes, ‘But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins, may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression’. David was aware of his own humanity and he knew that without the Spirit of God he could not discern his own heart.

I am sitting in the fear of the Lord as I write and He is saying, “Rend your hearts and not your garments. Repentance and surrender is the way back to a soft and sensitive heart before Me and obedience is what I require. I AM not looking for you to offer Me a religious service and keep your heart at a distance. I AM looking for hearts that are fully devoted to Me that I may show Myself strong on your behalf.”

All of us have hidden faults and we need the Holy Spirit to reveal the places of willful sin in our heart so that sin might not have dominion over us. What happens when the Holy Spirit shows us these places?  They are weighed against the plumb line of the Word of God, and God expects us to respond to His voice and obey His Word. When we hear the Word of God and the voice of His Spirit over and over and we do not surrender to Him and walk in obedience, our hearts become calloused toward Him and His ways. We become spiritually insensitive, apathetic, and indifferent to the very Words and ways of God. When our hearts become calloused, we are not able to discern the true condition of our own hearts before the Lord.

Isaiah the prophet writes in Isaiah 29:13, “The Lord says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.’” Jesus quotes Isaiah in Matthew 15:8, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” Jesus was communicating what mattered most to Him and to The Father. It was hearts fully devoted to Him and His heart has not changed. He wants all of our hearts. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, it says, “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.” The Lord wants to move mightily on our behalf and we limit Him by choosing not to look in the mirror of His Word and let Christ be formed in us. Obedience is not an option for a follower of Christ. The Lord blesses obedience. He is jealous for us. He wants every part of our heart to be fully His. Let the Holy Spirit examine your heart afresh today and let us pray bold prayers like David. Ask the Lord to show you any places where your heart may have become calloused because of your lack of obedience to His Word. Let Him show you the places where you may not discern your hidden faults. He is faithful and just to forgive when we come to Him and repent with humble hearts.

After David prays for the Lord to cleanse him from his hidden faults, he prays this: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, Oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Let this become our prayer too. May our hearts find great pleasure in meditating on God’s Word and speaking His Words from a pure heart. It is the Holy Spirit's good pleasure both to will and to do His work in us, making us like Christ.