The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalms 51:17
A broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. Do you know the difference between the two? You can have a broken heart and still not agree with the Holy Spirit’s conviction of your sin. To have a ‘broken’ spirit means to surrender your will and choices to Him. To have a broken spirit means you agree with His assessment of your life and current situation. To have a broken spirit means you agree with Him that you have sinned. And your broken and contrite heart is ready to do His instruction to confess and repent.
David is truly humbled and repentant before God. David certainly had his missteps into sin. But because he was humble before God – the centuries show his faithfulness. The psalmist lays it all out for everyone to see. And we all can relate… to David’s human condition.
We all have sinned.
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. Romans 3:21-25
I personally have a ‘surrender square’ with God. In my mind in prayer, there is a one-foot square I stand on when I am ‘done’ trying to figure things out, or finally agree with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, or am frustrated with the current situation, or don’t know what to do. It’s my surrender square – where my spirit and heart totally submit to God. Most of the time in my mind I kneel before Him after stepping onto the square. And there have been many times I do it in the physical as well. I have been at ‘the end of my rope’ more times than I can count. And God has ALWAYS been faithful. (Note: definitely not always in the timing I wanted.)
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalms 147:3
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:18
So if you’re feeling ‘crushed’ and brokenhearted – step onto your own ‘surrender square’ … and meet with Him. Don’t go with a religious speech, or flowery words – just be blatantly honest with Him from your heart. It’s your best first step.