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