I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto
the end, PSA 119:112.
It is very common to ascribe to ourselves what God implants in our
hearts by His grace. What love would you or I have for Christ if He didn't love us first?
What love would we have for His will if the Holy Spirit had not given us this inclination?
What love would we have for God Himself if the Holy Spirit didn't instill this in our
hearts?
1 John 4:10 says, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that
he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
After our hearts come into reconciliation with the will of God, then
we, like David, can say, "I have inclined mine heart." Why? the affections have
been renewed by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit; with these renewed affections the new
heart has a desire to do the will of God. God has planted the new desire in the heart
which is revealed by the fruit, i.e., the actions and thoughts.
Even though David says, "I have inclined mine heart," and a
few verses earlier says, "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to
covetousness," there is perfect harmony of purpose between David's will and the will
of God. Enabling grace has gone into effect; the Lord gives enabling grace to do what He
has commanded to be done.
So now, by grace, what is David's heart inclined to do? He desires not
only to understand and talk about God's statutes, but to perform them. Our text tells
about bringing God's will to fruition by our deeds which is done to the end of our life,
for His honor and glory.
