Endurance for the Journey, Featured
A Broken Spirit
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
PSALM 51:17 (NIV)
Those who are suffering take great comfort in Psalm 51:17. Why? Because most of them know they are broken in spirit. During my depression I leaned hard on this verse. I knew I had a broken spirit, but I also knew this was a good thing before God. A broken spirit brings us to a place where God can mold and shape us.
We tend to think that our sacrifices; our offerings to God, are what please Him. We think He wants us to perform for Him and bring Him our good deeds. We think we must have something in our hands to show and please God, like the animal sacrifices the ancient Israelites brought to the temple.
The sweet message of this verse is that the sacrifice God wants is not the work of our hands to please Him, but our open hands to receive Him. He wants us.
The Lord hears his people
when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
PSALM 34:17-18 (NLT)
On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky
