Scripture
15 Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
Reflection
Sometimes church communities can seem plastic. People see each other only once a week, donning their best clothes, wearing insincere smiles, and shushing their rebellious kids for an hour of superficial worship. They act out a script that says, “We were saved, now we need to act like good people. And good people don’t have struggles, flaws or hurts.”
Another type of church community is the conspicuous martyrs – people who compete to show how pious they are, how hard they work to be holy, and tell each other stories of their immense sacrifices. Their implicit script says, “We are saved by our actions. And the good Christians are the most religious ones.”
But this passage from Psalms tells us that God desires a different kind of worship. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.” He calls us to be authentic, vulnerable, humble and honest about brokenness. God is truth and He desires us to live in truth, which means tearing off the masks of hypocrisy and religiosity.
Throughout the Bible, the heroes of faith are often not the bravest, smartest, or least sinful. The heroes of faith are broken vessels thirsty to be filled with God’s streams of living water. Embrace your brokenness and do not worry about the values of the world. As it says in I Cor 1:25 – “The foolishness of God is stronger than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength”(Charlie).
Thoughts for the day
- What kind of church-goer are you?
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- How can you apply this message in an area of your life that needs transformation?
- Is there anyone you think should hear or will benefit from this message? Go and tell them.
Prayer
PRAY FOR GOD’S KINGDOM TO COME The simplest prayer can be the most powerful: “Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be done, On earth as in heaven”.
