“Deliver
me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue
shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my
mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or
else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offering. The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart – These, O
God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:12-17
This
passage seems to contradict the Law as offerings and sacrifices are prescribed,
but this passage is actually written by one who has spent considerable time in
prayer and introspection. The psalmist has learned to appreciate exactly
what these sacrifices and offerings truly represent.
It
is not easy to look deeply within; it is harder still to be perfectly honest
not only with ourselves but with our Lord and see where we have failed to
acknowledge what has already been done for us. The people of Israel are
called to always remember the Exodus, when they were delivered from bondage,
and tell the story to their children and grandchildren. The people of the
Church are called to remember what was done at the Cross, when all were
delivered from bondage to sin and death, and tell the story to our children and
grandchildren.
Maybe
like the psalmist, we are looking for “new” evidence of Divine Grace especially
when we feel overwhelmed by the world. Real time spent searching the
Scriptures, contemplating what has been done already, and coming to realize how
easily these things are taken for granted should be sufficient for a “broken
spirit, a broken and contrite heart” – if we can truly appreciate what was
already done and why it was done.
Let
us learn to embrace what is already in abundance, and be renewed in our spirit
and in the purpose for which we have been called forth. As it is written,
“My grace is sufficient for you”. Not the grace that may come, but the
grace that already is.
Blessings,
Michael
No comments:
Post a Comment