Oct 20 – Sacrifices of Righteousness!
elim admin“You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness.” (Psalm 51:19)
A tax collector and a Pharisee once went up to the temple to pray. When the Pharisee prayed, he proudly listed all his religious achievements and proclaimed his own righteousness. But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift his eyes towards heaven. He beat his chest and cried out, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:10–13).
The Lord was not pleased with the Pharisee, despite all the good things he claimed to have done. But the tax collector, who poured out his heart before God with humility and brokenness, was declared righteous.
When you allow the grace of God to work within you, it produces a broken and contrite spirit. The hardness of your heart is changed, and you become willing to offer yourself to God as a broken and contrite sacrifice.
The Scriptures show us three ways through which such brokenness can come into our lives.
- Through the Word of God: When Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed the living Word of God with anointing, those who heard him were cut to the heart (Acts 2:37).
The Word of the Lord is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces. It can break even the hardest heart. The writer of Hebrews declares that the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12).
- Through the Work of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit brings brokenness into our hearts. The Lord promises: “I will give them a new heart and put a new spirit within them.” (Ezekiel 11:19)
Yes, when the Holy Spirit enables you to pray from deep within your heart, with groanings and heartfelt cries, the presence of God surrounds you.
In the presence of the Lord, a heart that was once hard as a mountain begins to melt like wax (Psalm 97:5). That is why David says: “Pour out your heart before Him.” (Psalm 62:8)
- Through Suffering and Trials: Sufferings and afflictions can also bring brokenness to our hearts.
Consider the life of Hannah. On one side was the deep pain of being childless. On the other was the continual provocation and hurtful words of her rival, who mocked her because she had no child. Day after day, those words wounded her heart.
Therefore, Hannah came before the Lord with a broken and contrite heart and poured out her soul before Him (1 Samuel 1:15).
The Lord not only looked upon her with favour but also answered her prayer and gave her a son—Samuel, who became a great prophet of God. What a beautiful lesson! God can use the very experiences that break our hearts to draw us closer to Him; and to pour out His blessings upon us.
Verse for further meditation: “Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings; For this you love, You children of Israel!” Says the Lord God.” (Amos 4:5)