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A broken and contrite heart
Message #11 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series "Confession"
Have you ever confessed a sin to the Lord, and tried to explain it? That’s really making an excuse, isn’t it? It’s failing to assume full responsibility. Do you remember when King Saul sinned by keeping the Amalekite king and his best livestock alive, when the Lord had told him to destroy everything? When Samuel confronted King Saul, the king first denied his sin. Then he finally admitted it -- but explained that he did what he did because he was afraid of his people. He made excuses, and the Lord was sorry He had ever made him king. Eventually God took King Saul’s throne away from him. Later, King David committed even more terrible sins -- adultery and murder. But when confronted, he simply said, "I have sinned against the Lord." [2 Sam 12:13] David made no excuses, and he remained a man after God’s own heart. We see why, when we read David’s reaction to his sins. In Psalm 38: "How constantly I find myself upon the verge of sin; this source of sorrow always stares me in the face. I confess my sins; I am sorry for what I have done." [Ps. 38:17-18, TLB] And in Psalm 51: "Have mercy on me, O God...my sin is always before me. ...The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." [Ps. 51:1,3,17] David’s heart was broken because he was sorry for his sins -- not sorry he’d been caught, not sorry for the consequences he would suffer, but sorry he had disappointed the God he loved. When we live close to the Lord, when we love Him in a personal way, how can we have any other response to our sins? Our hearts simply break.
Pray with me now -- Lord, give us hearts that break when we sin because we can’t stand to disappoint You. Help us turn away from sin in Your strength. Amen.
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