How to Seek God with a "Broken and Contrite Heart"
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“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
It’s quite possible you have heard this verse of Scripture before. You may have even applied it in some way or fashion to your life or circumstance. To gain true understanding of this verse it requires an answer to the question: what is a contrite heart and spirit?
Psalm 51:17 says God won’t despise this, so clearly this is something we should have or desire to have. If there is something that we can offer to God that he wants, than that is absolutely worth investigating. I believe grasping the full meaning of this verse will require us to consider it from two perspectives. So let’s get started.
What Is a Contrite Heart and Spirit?
Perspective 1 – Surrender to God’s Will
There are a few key words in this verse. Let’s examine what they mean.
Broken - Comes from the Hebrew word meaning to break or break in pieces.
Contrite - Comes from the Hebrew word meaning to crush.
Heart – Comes from the Hebrew word meaning inner man, mind, or will.
Spirit – Comes from the Hebrew word meaning breath or wind.
Let’s put all of these definitions together so we can understand what a contrite heart and spirit really is. A contrite heart or spirit is when a person’s inner man or will has been broken so they no longer run after the things they want, but surrender to the things that God wants. A broken heart or will says I will no longer do this my way or on my terms but I will surrender to your ways. This type of heart, that is fully surrendered to God, he will never turn away.
I know conceptually that may make sense to you. However, how does this look in real life application? In a practical sense this may mean surrendering your career choices, your ministry choices, your marriage choices, basically running every aspect of your life through the sieve of God’s purpose and plan for your life.
What is also important in this verse are the words “my sacrifice.” Sacrifice only works if you are willing to offer up something of real value to you. If what you are offering has no value, then it is not a sacrifice. Consider this question for a moment. Are you willing to lay down everything you are and everything you want, which includes your hopes, dreams, plans, and your future?
When you come to the place where you can lay down everything you want to take on what God wants for your life, you are offering something of real value to God. Is it any wonder that he would not reject this type of sacrifice?
What Is the Context of This Verse?
Prospective 2 - Brokenness over Sin
Understanding the context of this verse will give you another way of looking at this verse and will help you understand even more what a contrite heart and spirit is. Psalm 51 was written after Nathan had confronted David with his sin. If you are not familiar with the story of David and Bathsheba, go read 2 Samuel 11-12.
Long story short, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and she got pregnant. He then had her husband killed to cover the tracks of his sin. Since no sin is hidden from God, Nathan confronts David. In his repentance, David penned Psalm 51.
Within this Psalm you will see another answer to the question of what a contrite heart and spirit is. Psalm 51 is all about David being broken over his sin against God, which is another aspect of a contrite heart. How do you respond when you have sinned? David was crushed in his spirit when confronted with his sin. This is the response to sin that God desires in you and me.
I also want you to consider Psalm 51:16:
“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.”
God doesn’t just want you going through some ritual that you think will appease him, especially if it is dealing with repentance. Simply put, God doesn’t just want outward transactions; God wants inward transformation.
If we are not careful we can make the whole experience of serving God transactional. You read your Bible, go to church, pay your offerings and do all the transactional things that are required. The problem is the transactions can become ritualistic, almost like a checklist. Even though you may check the boxes, there is no real transformation. This is not what God is after. He desires true transformation which only comes when there is a change on the inside, aka within the heart or spirit of a man or woman. This is what God is looking for. When you come with a heart that is crushed and broken over your sin and have a true desire for repentance, God will never despise that.
Let me put it in even plainer language, God doesn’t want your stuff or anything you can do for him more than he wants you and your heart. Don’t bring your service, your gifts, your time, your talents, or your treasure unless you have brought your heart first. When you lead with bringing your broken heart, you are bringing the type of sacrifice that God will not turn away.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Predrag Images
How Do Other Translations Word This Verse?
When you look at this verse in other translations you begin to see this verse in its complete meaning. It brings full clarity and answers the question of what a contrite heart and spirit is. Here is Psalm 51:17 in a few different translations:
AMP - My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
CSB - The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.
CEV - The way to please you is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won’t refuse.
ERV - The sacrifice that God wants is a humble spirit. God, you will not turn away someone who comes with a humble heart and is willing to obey you.
MSG - Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.
TPT - The fountain of your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before you. You will not despise my tenderness as I humbly bow down at your feet.
What Does It Look Like for Us to Have a "Contrite Heart and Spirit"?
When you consider Psalm 51:17 there are two questions I want you to think about. I believe how you answer them will give you some insight into what’s going on in your heart today.
1. What is your attitude towards sin in your life?
2. What is your attitude towards following God’s plan for your life?
What God desires is a heart that is contrite. A heart that is crushed over any presence of sin in your life and surrendered to the plan he has for your life. If you will live your life with these two things at the forefront, if you will allow them to guide how you live and how you make decisions, you will put your heart in a position that God will never despise.
More and more as I read Scripture, I realize that it’s not about just getting the facts right or gathering information. Don’t get me wrong, it is extremely important to get the facts and information right because they do matter. What I am discovering however is that facts alone are not enough. After all, didn’t the Pharisees and teachers of the laws have all the facts?
What God is after is not just Christians who know the facts, who can quote all the verses, who may even know all the Greek or Hebrew. All that is great and wonderful. However, as wonderful as that is, what God is after is your heart. The truth is if your heart is not yielded, broken, and contrite, then knowing the facts doesn’t mean that much. I challenge and encourage you to be a person who knows the facts but more importantly who yields their heart. At the end of the day the yielded heart, which is your sacrifice, is the type of heart that God will never turn away.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Katarzyna Bialasiewicz
