Brokenness

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
Psalm 51 is the prayer of David after he was confronted over his sin of adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 12). David repented, and God forgave him, but he still had to live with the consequences.
This verse reminds me of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax-collector (Luke 18:10ff). Both came to the temple to worhip God; the Pharisee boasted about himself and the tax-collector simply said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner’. It was the tax-collector who was forgiven, because he had the right heart attitude.
How do we feel about our sin? Do we realise how much of a slap in the face it is to God when we deliberately sin, or conversely when we fail to do good? What do we do when we are convicted of it by the Holy Spirit?
These are rhetorical questions, but consider this from another angle: we speak of horses as being ‘broken’. A horse that is not broken has a mind of its own and cannot be ridden. But once it is broken, its power is brought under control by the rider and it becomes useful. God doesn’t leave us in a broken state. It’s then that He is able to use us for His purposes – which is the greatest fulfilment a person can find in life.