Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Contrite Heart

My SSMT (Siesta Scripture Memory Team) verse for Jan 15 is:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and contrite heart - 
These, O God, You will not despise.            Psalm 51:17

You see, I need this verse, especially this week.

Psalm 51:16 tells us that God doesn't want our sacrifices and offerings if not given with the right heart attitude. The works that I do for Christ: serving at church, caring for my neighbors, sharing the gospel, keeping my tongue - all of it -  is not worth anything to Him if I have served to be seen, cared out of duty, shared because "I'm better," or kept my words so they wreak bitter havoc on my soul.

Christ wants a broken and contrite heart. He wants our insides. He wants us to want what He wants - service with humility, helps because we care, sharing out of love and silence because we know He does the work and we leave it to Him to do. Ouch!

I want a contrite heart. I want to serve, help, love and speak out of a pure mind/heart. There is no way to manufacture this; it can only be done by the Holy Spirit's work.

I have turned this verse into a prayer that God will continue His work in me and give me a broken and contrite heart.  Oh, to someday be able to ask God to search my heart and see if there is any evil way in me! Today there seems to be plenty!

3 comments:

Brenda said...

I enjoyed this post. Goes along with one of my favorites...create in me a clean heart...and restore a right spirit within me. Thank God He restores!

sara said...

sadly, I need this verse this week too. thanks so much for sharing it. But I am so grateful God does not allow me to stay there, but uses His Word and those around me (you today) to show me where I am falling short and what I need to work on and change.

gail said...

"Break my heart for what breaks Yours." One of my prayers.