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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 is asking to know God fully so he can walk with Him humbly and obediently.  Yes, for himself, but ultimately for God's glory.  He asks for deliverance, but not as one who is panicking, instead with peace, confidence and joy.  

I love this verse.  I immediately connected with it; but man, did I have to unpack it.  Seemingly simple, I had to dig and find out not only what it meant, but also why God grabbed it and gave it to me.  

David understands that knowing the Lord is the key to walking in truth.  I had to figure out what "walking in truth" really meant.  It's great "Christianese" and sounds lovely.  But, what does it mean? "It's a way of living that gets good results and produces good fruit." One analogy, if it helps, compared it to taking care of our teeth.  If a good smile (and keeping those teeth) is important to you, you will do the things required to ensure their health...eating well, brushing them, flossing them.  The same is true for "walking in truth"...it is living rightly.  It is being sincere, devoted, cooperative, pure, showing loyal love...a life that produces joy.  It does NOT include selfishness, gossip, isolation.  So how do we walk in truth...we read God's Word.  It means not just being head smart about it.  I've met many brilliant people that couldn't find their way out of a paper sack because they are all head smart but lack some common sense in doing life.  James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says."  So it is reading God's Word...then DOING it.

Then I had to figure out what an undivided heart is (some versions say united heart).  "An undivided heart is one that has an intimate, loving and deep relationship with God and no other love comes before this.  There is no competition in this heart, God is first." http://www.make-my-christian-life-work.com/heart.html This can be a tough one and has taken me somewhere between four and five DECADES to figure out. It seemed logical to me that I would love my kids more than anything in this world (and I loved them more than anything out of it, too) so much so THEY became my identity.  Through tough lessons of having my pride broken in their various trials and journeys, I learned God loves them more than I ever could.  I thought I was on the throne of being able to control and run their lives.  When I love God more, my priorities get straight and I end up being a better mom...they are able to get the lessons they need out of life and I don't rob them short of learning the lesson by running in front of them and making the world "safe" (what a joke, but...).  I love better; and more than anything I pray they see me love God in a way that they would want more of HIM not me because I have failed and will fail again.  I wanted the fairytale romance from a man.  It took a divorce from the father of my children and the death of a boyfriend to make me fall in love with The One who owns my heart.  John and I are second in each other's lives and I would not have it ANY other way.  I don't want what he thinks he might have to offer unless it is from the overflow of his love of the Lord.  Max Lucado has said, "A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to see HIM just to find her."  Come find me, I want to be hidden in Him.

Finally, fearing the Lord.  Okay, in my five plus decades, I still wrestle with this one.  Basically, it means understanding the character of God...who He is...loving, compassionate, slow to anger, full of grace, Holy, jealous...  Fearing Him is not so much being afraid, but knowing He is perfect and looking to please Him; not because He will punish but because He wants to give every good gift and lavish those He loves, so much so He wants to spend an eternity loving you.  Let me tell you, it was a game changer in my work life.  I do not fear the boss who I can't figure out, I work to please God and because I do, I become a better employee.  I don't fear parents, I fear the One who makes the sun rise and set, and learn to love the parents because I see them through His eyes and know they're just like I was...running in front trying to make the world "safe" for their babies.  It's God whom I will stand before to give an account, not my boss, not my husband, not my kids.  

Aha moment just now.  Just realized why I connected with the verse.  I, the teacher,  want and need to be taught by the greatest teacher...the lover of my soul.  It's a journey in a tough classroom, but I'm ready to get busy learning.