Enlarge My Heart

Psalm 119: 32

I shall run the way of Thy commandments, for thou wilt enlarge my heart. 

What does it mean to "enlarge my heart"? And how would running in the "way of Thy commandments" accomplish this?

God's commandments are based on God's love for us, and they tell us how to do well so we can enjoy the benefits He put into this Earth for us. 

When we learn to cooperate with the mechanisms of how the World operates, it's like when we buy a new car and it comes with the "Owner"s Manual" on how to take care of and operate the automobile. When we refer to it to use the correct fuel and put the recommended air pressure in the tires, then we're obeying the manufacturer's instructions. And the auto will give us many years of faithful service.

We need to see God's Word as our Manufacturer's Instructions: to know them and to understand the underlying principles to be able to apply them to every situation we face in life. "Run(ing) in the way of Thy commandments" is obeying His rules and regulations that govern the World. 

So how would this "enlarge my heart"?

Since God's Love gave us His instructions, Love will enable us to follow them (Matthew 22:37-40): we will love God and want to obey Him, and we will love what He loves, ourselves and other people. This is how our hearts will be "enlarged." 

We will go beyond our own little circles of ourselves and our families and friends, and open our affections to ever-widening circles. Our hearts will grow bigger and bigger to envelop more and more recipients of our love. We will care for how people are suffering, and want to help them anyway we can. 

O my Father, I pray that You would enlarge my heart; a heart that has been so cold to ignore the neediness of the poor. 

Enlarge my heart to have compassion on those who have needs I can help meet. Open my eyes to the abundant resources You have given me so I can run confidently in the way of Your Commandments in doing what I can to help. 

Let me not put off doing what I can, help me to not procrastinate, not put off until later what I can do today.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!