The Broken and Contrite

"Blessed are the poor in spirit..."

"the broken and contrite heart, O LORD, you will not despise."

"I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit."



The human heart inside everyone of us is so prideful, self-absorbed, twisted and forgetful. I have been stunned at the overwhelming twistedness and deception of my own heart even after knowing the salvation of Christ. It runs so deep in us that its truly stunning to see ourselves for what we are, but that same vision is the most blessed vision we can ever have.



To some, they may just harden their hearts, stiffen their lip, move on and try to get over that vision, but to the ones who know the salvation of Christ, we must have a poor spirit that has seen this completely twisted, nasty vision of our own heart. We are so deceptive and prideful at the core that it is absolutely stunning. Forgetful of good and ever twisting the thoughts and intents of our heart, all that we think we do with good intentions often flows from deep rooted self-preservation and the desire to appear good in front of others. Nothing the unsaved man does is from a pure heart of love towards God, the One who formed him and made him for this purpose. So twisted are we from the purpose of God that it is astounding to me. I desire, truly desire to serve my Lord and worship Him, but how rare is an unadulterated action of love for my Maker. Oh to be pure of heart, I long for this, but we must always first see our foulness and know, desperately know, our need for the Saviour and the purifying work of the Holy Spirit.

So, are you broken over not just the brokeness of this world but the total wretchedness of your own heart? Do you mourn over it with a sorrow-filled chest, carrying around a desperate cry for the Makers re-forming of your heart? Does your heart then hunger and thirst for the righteousness that then comes from Christ's redeeming work in our lives? We are a desperate case, we must see ourselves this way! It is one of the most glanced over doctrines of the process of redemption, but we must, absolutely must, know our case... Why do you think it is often so much easier for the addicts, criminals, wretchedly poor and lost people of the world to come to the cross and leave it all there? It is their innate broken lives and their glaring need for a washing. I pray that we would be ever convicted of this need in each one of our self-righteous, self-decieving hearts.