“A Broken and Contrite Heart” - Psalm 51 (Day 5)

For the past week, we've spent our time reflecting on the words of King David found in Psalm 51. What we encountered was a profoundly personal prayer that reads more like a confession. The hidden sin and struggles residing in David's heart left him feeling helpless and overwhelmed with grief. Unable to bear its weight any longer, David prayed for restoration and renewal. He goes as far as offering God his broken and contrite heart as an act of worship. We want to slow down and consider this point as we conclude our week. The first step in this process is evaluating the condition of our hearts. So, before we begin, I want to provide you with space to pause and be honest with God about the state of your heart and its receptiveness to God's molding, shaping, and transformation. Then, spend a few moments in silent prayer.

For a final time, I invite you to read Psalm 51 in its entirety. As you do, pay attention to how the posture of David’s heart gets revealed through his words:

Psalm 51 says this:

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

A posture of helplessness and humility serve as the foundation of David's prayer, and we witness their culmination in today's passage:

Psalm 51:16-17 says this:

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Take a moment to reflect on what you just read:

• If we’re called to wholeness, why does God value and delight in our broken and contrite hearts?

While his sin remained hidden, David kept up the religious charade. He worshiped and offered sacrifices at the temple; he celebrated the holy holidays. Looks can be deceiving. Jesus welcomed everyone He crossed paths with, yet He reserved His sharpest words to the religious leaders for sending out mixed messages. Outwardly they appeared to have it all together, but inwardly they were full of corruption, greed, and hypocrisy. They knew the letter of the law but missed that what God desires most is a humble heart. One can follow all the rules and still miss the point. Jesus said to the Pharisees, as well as to us, that when we live this way, we have no substance. We can put on our "Sunday best" and leave the worst parts of our hearts unattended. Doing our quiet time, attending church, serving, tithing, and being in a small group matter little if we don't welcome and give God access to our entire heart. 

A jaded heart is unusable to God. A prideful heart doesn't believe it needs God in the first place. A fearful heart will never come out of hiding. But, a broken and contrite heart - that is one God not only welcomes and accepts but is eager to capture and transform. We display a broken spirit and contrite heart when we come humbly before God, acknowledging our sin and proclaiming God’s goodness. By doing so, we express our desperate and dependent need for God and His mercy. 

Take a moment and consider… What adjectives would you use to describe the current state of your heart and its receptiveness to God? 

Read today’s passage slowly one more time.

Psalm 51:16-17 says this:

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Don't confuse a broken and contrite heart with an endless wallowing over your sin. It's not a call to continue to sit with the grief, shame, and remorse our struggles bring. God calls us to live victoriously, not to spend our days defeated and downtrodden. A contrite heart enables a critical shift to occur. Repentance is admitting our struggles, remembering who our salvation comes from, and then turning toward God's steadfast love and mercy and the joy of salvation. In light of the gospel, we can come to the Lord knowing when we turn to Him that forgiveness, love, and mercy will greet us - there is no condemnation for those who find refuge in Him. The more we understand our sin, the more we bask in and understand the depths of God's grace. As we see His heart, our heart changes. When our heart changes, so does everything about us. 

So, as we begin to wrap up our time together, we want to provide you some space to respond to what we read and maybe to what God is trying to say to you through Psalm 51. First, take a moment to process this question… Where are you confusing a broken and contrite heart with feeling defeated by and continually sitting in your struggles?

Another question to consider is this… How can you display a broken and contrite heart by turning away from your struggles and turning toward God and His forgiveness?

PRAYER

Father God,

I need not wallow in guilt or shame forever - this is not my plight, nor is it my home.

Instead, You call me to Yourself, for it is there where gracious mercy, unbelievable forgiveness, and endless love reside. 

May I never lose sight of Your goodness and how Your grace provides me with a sense of security and safety I didn’t deserve or earn. 

From this understanding, may I build my life. Amen.