Inclined, Not Reclined

“I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end.” (Ps 119:112 AV)

At first glance I could not reconcile the idea of the vow and the eventuality of sin.  How could David promise to perform the statutes of God, even unto the end of his life when he knows that his nature to sin will lead him to fall?  On the face of it, this seems like and impossible vow.  Knowing that God holds us to our vows, why would David make such a bold statement?  But then the Spirit taught me the truth of this verse.  First, it is not a vow.  It is a statement of fact.  Second, David did not state he will live perfectly sinless to the end of his life.  What he said is that he has inclined his heart to live in the law of God to the end of his life.  There is a big difference.  The first, that he can live sinless, although hypothetically possible is practically impossible.  So, the later must be the case.  That is, David has made a statement that he has decided his heart will be inclined, or generally bent towards, the performance of the statutes of the word of God to the end of his life.  One may think that is what all saints have done.  But this is simply not the case.

As far as this author is concerned, this is one of the proofs of genuine spiritual life.  Perhaps someone can be saved without making the decision to incline his or her heart towards the word of God.  But they certainly cannot walk with God that way.  If the saint or sinner has no desire to conform to the word of God, then their relationship with the LORD is shallow at best, and at worst, is non-existent.  This author has noticed this to be the case more times than not.  Those professing Christ have little to no desire to strive after Christlikeness.  The preaching has become shallow and narcissistic even to the point the people of God cannot take strong meat.  There comes a time when every child of God is challenged to make this choice.  Will the word of God be important enough to them that it changes his or her life?

When I was a child, we were required to learn a musical instrument.  Acoustic guitar was the instrument of choice for me.  After accepting the LORD as my Savior, I rejected the guitar thinking it was an unacceptable instrument in the sight of God.  Within the last few years, I have re-evaluated that position and have taken it up again.  In so doing, I found a reinvigorating appreciation for the ability to play music for the glory of God.  Tinkering with a mandolin, I inclined my heart to learn how to play.  Attitude really does determine success.  A lot of sore fingers and tons of hours of mistakes later, a few spiritual songs and hymns resonate from its strings.  It was all about the heart.  Inclining one’s heart makes the discipline needed a whole lot easier.  This decision is a permanent one.  Incline your heart to perform God’s law.  Success or failure, incline your heart anyway!