A Broken Spirit
A Broken Spirit
Psalm 51:16-17 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
What is David the psalmist telling us there?
Surely he’s telling us that first and foremost God is not interested in externals!!!!!
* Sacrifice and offerings are not necessarily things that God does not want, but they are things that He does not want FIRST and foremost.
**And if that’s all there is in our lives – the external practices of religion – then God takes no pleasure in them.
*God looks below the surface;
*God looks to the heart;
*God looks to the motives;
*God looks to the attitude.
***And it says that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Those are strange words to our ears today.
What does it mean that God desires a broken spirit?
*Does He want to crush us?
*Does He want to beat us down?
*Does He want to humiliate us?
* No, I’m sure that’s not it.
What is a broken spirit? I think it’s a spirit that has come totally to the end of ITSELF.
* All independence, all self-will and all self-righteousness have been purged out.
*We’ve come to the place where we have no hope but in God.
* We’ve come to the end of our own resources.
* We have no claims upon God, we simply turn to Him for His mercy and His faithfulness, not trusting our own merits, but clinging only to God.
Brokenness is beautiful!
In Jesus there is strength.
In Jesus there is hope.
In Jesus there is love.
He is love and Love never fails.
*Allow Him to embrace you, to comfort you.
*Allow His Word to speak to you, in ways that it never has before.
*Allow Him to be the only Being who can listen to you and understand you.
I believe the Lord is saying receive your victory today. Do not wait for it to come when necessary, but receive your victory this moment.
Reach out by faith and allow Jesus to bring the victory that is before you that can be yours this day without the waiting.
And when this victory comes to your heart there will come the sound of rejoicing within.
Your faith will cause your spirit man to rejoice, even before that which you need comes.
So, I encourage you to receive by faith the victory that you require this moment.
The just walk by faith, believe and receive by faith, says the Most High.
So often defeat is what is required before victory can be won. Jesus said that unless the seed dies and goes into the ground it cannot bring forth fruit (see Jn. 12:24).
The death of a vision is often required before the fulfillment can really take place. Have you failed at something in your life? Have you not seen the vision fulfilled you thought you were given? The vision may yet happen.
The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross. However, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth. *Christ’s death gave liberty.
* Forgiveness came to all men.
* New life came forth-new strength for the disciples.
** Resurrection and new life came as a result of a “defeat.” “There are triumphant defeats that rival victories”
We are living in times when it is of utmost importance for us to discern between truth and error; between the Lord’s will and seduction from the enemy.
Time is short, and we must stay the course and not be taken off track.
Be alert and let the Lord’s Spirit lead you! Otherwise, you will be led by your own desires and imaginations.
* Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Psalms 34:18 The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
*Brokeness is the process whereby God brings us to the ends of ourselves and unto submission to HIM!!!
**** God’s Priority in Your Life****
A. God’s priority is not with the vessel but with the treasure. HE wants us to be like HIS son JESUS . Rom 8:29
*God is far more concerned with us being like Jesus than with our comfort. Sometimes HE will sacrifice our happiness and use issues of LIFE to bring us to HIM
B. God’s priority is not to provide temporary pleasure but eternal glory 2 Corinthians 4:16-17.
*God wants to break the “jar” of our lives ,so that the “treasure” of Jesus on the inside of HIS children can be seen.
C. God’s priority is not what is seen, but that which is unseen 2 Corinthians 4:18 Rom 8:28.
*Whenever God leaves you vulnerable or doesn’t answer your prayers, HE has a bigger plan for your life.
****Proper responses to Brokeness**
A. Analysis- what is GOD showing us.
B. Acceptance- yield to HIS working.
C. Adjust- adjust to HIS process.
*The best thing to do is to yield to the process of brokeness.
Father, Help us to recognize and respond correctly to your process of brokeness, O God, for we know that your ultimate priority LORD is to make us more like YOUR son, JESUS. So help us FATHER to not give up but to yield to the process and remain faithful to your work, knowing that ultimately it is for our good and YOUR GLORY , in the name of YOUR SON JESUS I pray, Amen .