Saturday

Psalm 51: 10 – 19

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.


Have you ever had to buy a gift for a wealthy person (for Christmas, a birthday, whatever)? You know you can’t get anything the person really needs. Your hope is to get something that will touch the heart - that will show love and appreciation for the person that comes from the heart.

In the same way, the idea of offering a sacrifice to God seems absurd. The Old Testament gives instruction on offering a variety of agricultural products to God, from cattle and sheep to fruit and grain. Like God needs a steak or a guava melon. But He never needed the material item. He desired to see the willing, sacrificial heart that motivated the gift.

This Psalm makes it clear. What God desires is a broken spirit and a broken heart. This doesn’t mean that God desires our pain. It just means He wants us to recognize what is true. We are people who have done hurtful things. We have harmed others and ourselves. What God wants us to do is realize this and be honest about our brokenness before Him. That is the first step to allow God to make us whole.