Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise”.  With all the talk today of self esteem and knowing who you are in Christ, this verse looks like it doesn’t fit.  But it does.

Even Christians who have been genuinely born again have to offer these sacrifices to the Lord.  If it were otherwise, why is it so many spiritual people have shed so many tears?

I remember the early days of my walk with Jesus when I spent many hours before God at an altar (many altars) grieving the mistakes I had made and seeking the face of God for the future.  God blessed me in those early days in spite of my immaturity because I offered Him the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart.

God, allow us to go back to the good old days when tears at an altar meant something.

Tags: altar, broken, tears