Monday, June 22, 2026

Psalm 86:11-17  

Teach me your way, O Lord,  
    that I may walk in your truth;  
    give me an undivided heart to revere your name.  
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,  
    and I will glorify your name forever.  
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;  
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.  

14 O God, the insolent rise up against me;  
    a band of ruffians seeks my life,  
    and they do not set you before them.  
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,  
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.  
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;  
    give your strength to your servant;  
    save the child of your maidservant.  
17 Show me a sign of your favor,  
    so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,  
    because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.    

I would argue that one of the most important developmental tasks of midlife is learning to name what you really want.  

Do you want a career? Do you want a family? Do you want to travel?  

What do you want?  

James K. A. Smith has a helpful little book called You Are What You Love (often summarized as: you are what you want). He reminds us that in the Bible’s imagination, the “heart” isn’t mainly the place of thoughts—it’s the place of desire. Our wants live there. And as we pursue what we want, those desires begin to shape who we become.  

Want to be a career climber? Over time, that desire will form you. Want to be a devoted spouse or parent? That desire will form you. Want to be a traveler? That desire will form you.  

David wrote Psalm 86 in the context of leadership. As a king, he likely carried constant pressure—decisions to make, threats to manage, goals to accomplish. And with that pressure came many competing desires. The danger of wanting too many things is that we become fractured. Our hearts get divided.  

That’s why David prays: “Give me an undivided heart” (Psalm 86:11). In other words: Lord, make my deepest desire You. David knew there were plenty of other “gods” he could chase—power, success, approval, security—and he also knew those desires could lead him toward ruin. So he asks God to gather his scattered longings and focus them on faithfulness.  

Perhaps one of the simplest devotional practices we can take up each day is this: to ask God to help us want Him more—to want what He wants, to love what He loves, to desire His good for our neighbor and for all creation. When we do, we can trust that God’s will isn’t only good for the world; it is also, finally, good for us.  

So—what do you want today?  

– Pr. Jason  

God, help me to want you more and more each day so that I would become more and more like you. Amen.