J.L. Williams is one of my heroes. I had the pleasure of traveling with him to Africa several years ago with both of my sons. I will never forget that trip. J.L. lived his life with one purpose — to serve the Lord with his whole heart. He was able to do this because he had what the Bible refers to as an undivided heart. He followed hard after the Lord for over 50 years. J.L. loved Jesus and all he wanted to do was share Jesus with others! The Lord used J.L. to go all over the world sharing the gospel with men and women in Third-World countries, such as, Haiti, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and India. The ministry that he founded in 1971, New Directions International (now Feed the Hunger, run by J.L’s son, Joseph), planted over 500 churches in some of the most destitute areas of the world. J.L. endured long plane flights, sleepless nights, separation from his wife for extended periods of time, pain, heartache, frustration and the continuous attacks of the enemy. J.L went home to be the Lord on December 28, 2016. No doubt, the Lord greeted him with these words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
So, what does it mean to have an undivided heart? An undivided heart is a heart that beats for One purpose. It is a heart that serves One Master. The man with an undivided heart for God has his eyes focused on things unseen (2 Cor. 4:18). On the other hand, a man with a divided heart is constantly pulled in more than one direction. He serves more than one master, and he gives neither his full devotion. The man with a divided heart has his eyes focused on this world.
To serve God with an undivided heart requires a teachable mind and a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). Jesus searched the Scriptures. He lived out His life on earth as a man solely committed to the Word of God. He walked according to the precepts found in Scripture. According to John Phillips, “His life and teaching were all controlled by the Word of God. If ever there was a teachable person, that person was the Lord Jesus.”
Psalm 86 is a prayer for God’s help. David, the author, faced formidable enemies in Saul, in the surrounding territories, and in his own family. In this Psalm he cries out for God’s help. In verses 1 and 2 David cries out, “Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.” David knew that the only way to make it through life was to learn the ways of God and to walk in that truth. Therefore, what David desired more than anything else was an undivided heart. He wanted to walk with God in truth.
Is that the desire of your heart? Do you want to live solely for the Lord, honoring Him in all that you do? If that is your desire, then why not right now, ask God to give you an undivided heart!