A Broken and Contrite Heart

I have been meditating on brokenness. What does it mean to be broken? Well I believe that most of us have a misconception of what brokenness is and what it means. Most people think that brokenness is a feeling or an emotion. I believe that it is neither a feeling or an emotion. I believe true brokenness is a choice. It is the surrendering of my own will to God's will in a state of worship. God draws nigh to his people that have a broken contrite heart and spirit. Psalm 34:18--"The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit."

"Contrite"--means to "be broken in spirit by a sense of guilt; a condition of being repentant; having a hatred for sin and having a willingness to change."


I believe brokenness is God breaking our self-reliance and our independence from Him. Brokenness is God breaking our will. It is God replacing our pride with humility. For example, think of a wild horse. A horse has to be broken in order to be useful to his master. The master is not trying to break the horse per say but he is breaking His will so that the horse will yield to the will of his master and trust him. We as Christians are the same. We have to be broken before we are useful to "God" our Master. Our will's have to be broken before we can realize that God is everything and we are nothing. God wants to reveal Himself and His glory to His people that have a broken and contrite heart, because their hearts can be easily molded by His hand. I believe brokenness is an on going process in our lives.

In order to have a contrite heart we have to be broken into tiny pieces so that we can be free of rebellion and resistance from God's will for our lives. When we have a contrite heart we detest our sin and desire to change. We desire to bring glory to God not ourselves. An example of this can be found in the life of King David after he sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba. He says in Psalm 51:[16-17]--"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart These, O God, You will not despise."

David realized that there was utterly nothing he could do to make his way back into God's favor. Nothing he sacrificed to God would be acceptable unless it was sacrificed with genuine repentence. The ritual act of sacrificing a lamb or oxen was not acceptable to God unless the persons heart was right with God. God brought David to brokenness. David knew that the only sacrifice he could give God was a humble and contrite heart. His whole heart attitude changed over his sin when he realized that he did not just sin against Bathsheba and Uriah but ultimately he was sinning against God. At first David tried to hide his sin from man and God but after he was brought to brokenness over his sin he allowed himself to become transparent to man and confessed his sin freely. He went from fearing man to fearing God.

After David humbled himself before God and confessed his sin he was forgiven. David was a recipiant of God's loving kindness and mercy. I praise the Lord that His forgiveness is not based on my worthiness but soley on His grace. Psalm 32:[1-5]--"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah"

God opened the eyes of Davids heart to see that he could not have confidence in his own righteousness but was totally dependent upon God's grace working in and through him. Because David was brought to brokenness he was receptive and responsive to God's words when he was rebuked by the prophet Nathan. Until we are broken we will not be able to respond in obedience to God's word.

Have you been brought to brokenness? Are you like a wild horse that refuses to be broken? What sin are you trying to hide from the Lord? Do we humble ourselves and confess our sin when we are confronted by another brother or sister in Christ about our sin? or Do we try to rationalize or justify our sin? Are you willing to be broken? Are you willing to be stripped of your own self-reliance and wholely submit to God's purpose and will for your life?

I will end my journal with this quote by Martin Luther. I believe it sums up what I am trying to express about brokenness. "God creates out of nothing.Therefore until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him."

Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison

Welcome

Hello All,

I am starting a blog with my husband tonight. (Well actually it's this morning, since it's 2:30am.) From now on I will be posting my journals here. Jedidiah encouraged me to start a blog so that I can have a single place to post and keep all my journals. My purpose for this blog is to express to everyone what I have experienced and learned from time spent with the Lord.

Love,
Michelle

A Meditation on Our Lords Prayer

Hello All,
I read this today and I'm not sure who the author is but wanted to share it with everyone. It is called "A MEDITATION ON OUR LORD'S PRAYER." As I read it I began to ask myself some questions that caused me to evaluate my own heart. As you read this I pray that you would gleam from it whatever the Lord would have you to see in your own heart.
A MEDITATION ON OUR LORD'S PRAYER:
I cannot pray OUR, if my faith has no room for others and their needs.
I cannot pray FATHER, if I do not demonstrate this relationship to God in my daily life.
I cannot pray HALLOWED BE THY NAME, if I am not striving with God's help, to be Holy.
I cannot pray THY KINGDOM COME, if I am unwilling to accept God's rule in my life.
I cannot pray ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, unless I am truly ready to give myself to God's service here and now.
I cannot pray GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD without expending honest effort for it, or if I would withhold from my neighbor the bread I receive.
I cannot pray FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US, if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone.
I cannot pray DELIVER US FROM EVIL, if I am not prepared to fight evil with my life and my prayers.
I cannot pray THINE IS THE KINGDOM, if I am unwilling to obey our King.
I cannot pray THINE IS THE POWER AND THE GLORY, if I am seeking power for myself and my own glory first.
I cannot pray FOREVER AND EVER, if I am too anxious about eachday affairs.
I cannot pray AMEN, unless I honestly can say, "Cost what it may, this is my prayer."
How many times do we pray and our hearts are not right with God? We have lip service but do our actions show the world that our lives are totally surrendered to God? Are we trusting God with our whole heart? God knows what is in our heart and we cannot hide anything from Him, so why do we live our lives like we can hide from Him? Are our lives charaterized by being obedient to God? Are those around us encouraged to experience and express the glory of Jesus Christ by the way we live our life? Are we infecting those around us with Christ?
Serving Our Lord Together,
Michelle Harrison