MY HEART'S POSTURE
You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
Psalm 27:8 (ESV)
David was described as a man after [God’s] own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). This is not to say David was perfect; he had his flaws. However, the posture of his heart was one of submission and worship to God. Even in his moral failure with Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba, David humbled himself and admitted his sin before God (Psalm 32:5).
In his book How to Worship a King, Zach Neese wrote, Worship is a posture of our hearts that informs every action of our lives. Worship is an attitude of love and submission that demands action. This is what made David a man after God’s heart–he maintained a heart posture of worship. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah, “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce… (Matthew 15:8-9a NLT).’” God desires our hearts. If He only cared about us acting perfectly, He could have created robots!
But God had David’s whole heart. The one thing I ask of the LORD–the one thing I seek most–is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple… (Psalm 27:4, NLT). You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek (Psalm 27:8, ESV).” Through all the seasons of David’s life, the overarching desire of his heart was nearness to God.
I wish I could say that God has always been the predominant desire and focus of my heart. However, when the roof needs replacing, or the kids are sick, or there’s a major project with a looming deadline, sometimes I just want to be distracted and entertained. It’s in those moments or seasons that I have to humble myself again and choose to put my heart into a posture of worship.
APPLICATION: Today, take a moment to reflect on the posture of your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to help develop in you a heart of worship–one of love and submission to Him.
PRAYER: God, forgive me for how easily I become distracted. Help me to seek Your face, Lord. Form in me a heart of worship that desires You above all else. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?