The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. [Psalm 51:17 NLT]
David has been king for some time. The army is engaged in battle. He is at home in his castle. He sees a woman taking a bath. He wants her. He takes her. He has her husband killed. He did despicable things. He eventually marries a pregnant Bathsheba. How is this man called one after God's heart?
The words that David writes in this psalm give us understanding. Sometimes it takes a great error in judgment to reveal the hardness in our heart. Our heart must break over our actions before we can repent. The price of humility is brokenness. Once we are broken grace can take hold of our heart.
A person after God's own heart is not one who does not sin. Such a person is one who is broken. Such a person is one who is influenced by the Holy Spirit to repent and change when they sin. This is what it means to be a person after God's own heart. Not a perfect heart but broken and repentant one.
I am proud Lord. Help me to be humble. Teach me to be one after your heart.
... this devotion is part of a series about King David.
Sometimes it's difficult to lay down the pride and become broken and repentant. So grateful for the God loves me even in my mess.
ReplyDeleteMe too Sue.
DeleteSometimes I think the gift of repentance, the grace to let go of what we have done or are desperate to hold on to, is THE greatest thing the Lord gives us.
ReplyDeleteI so agree Mike.
Delete