The Blessing of Brokenness
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalms 52:16-17 NIV
When you have sinned, you feel bad - sometimes terrible. You speak out confession, hoping never to do it again. Perhaps you even cry out for mercy. You wonder if you’ve done enough to make things right. What is God looking for?
Brokenness. David acknowledged that he could offer sacrifice after sacrifice, but that’s not what God really desires. There is a contriteness of spirit, a brokenness that really pleases God.
Where does this brokenness come from? First, it comes from a right perspective of your sin. When you recognize that you have offended God first and foremost, a deep sobering enters into your spirit. When you feel bad about your sin, is it because you were caught, ashamed or embarrassed? Are you annoyed with the consequences? This will not bring brokenness into your spirit.
When you recognize that you have offended the most loving, most beautiful, and most powerful One in the universe, your stubbornness begins to break. Now begin to cry out to God for a revelation of how your sin affects his heart. He grieves over anything that would separate you from him.
David caught the heart of God. He desperately wanted to be clean before his Maker. He wasn’t content to apologize. He wanted more… a softened spirit, one that felt God’s heart. That was true humility. He wanted nothing to do with paying penance for his sins. Only a broken spirit would be sufficient.
Run from trite apologies. Jesus paid for your sins. Don’t try to do that. But you can run toward brokennness. Ask God for his perspective on your sin. Call out for revelation on the grieving heart of God. Brokenness will come.
Brokenness. David acknowledged that he could offer sacrifice after sacrifice, but that’s not what God really desires. There is a contriteness of spirit, a brokenness that really pleases God.
Where does this brokenness come from? First, it comes from a right perspective of your sin. When you recognize that you have offended God first and foremost, a deep sobering enters into your spirit. When you feel bad about your sin, is it because you were caught, ashamed or embarrassed? Are you annoyed with the consequences? This will not bring brokenness into your spirit.
When you recognize that you have offended the most loving, most beautiful, and most powerful One in the universe, your stubbornness begins to break. Now begin to cry out to God for a revelation of how your sin affects his heart. He grieves over anything that would separate you from him.
David caught the heart of God. He desperately wanted to be clean before his Maker. He wasn’t content to apologize. He wanted more… a softened spirit, one that felt God’s heart. That was true humility. He wanted nothing to do with paying penance for his sins. Only a broken spirit would be sufficient.
Run from trite apologies. Jesus paid for your sins. Don’t try to do that. But you can run toward brokennness. Ask God for his perspective on your sin. Call out for revelation on the grieving heart of God. Brokenness will come.
