Psalm 51:16-19 “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.”
Today’s psalm is a psalm of David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. He recognizes that no offering of any kind would appease God and wash him of his sins. David’s desire to be in right standing with God causes him to abase himself and open himself up for divine scrutiny. He comes to the realization that true repentance before God is a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart.
The same is true today. If we have offended God we need to humble ourselves to the point of feeling a breaking within us. A genuine brokenness will gain the ear and forgiveness of God. It is painful but there is a release that will come from the Lord as He sets us free from the guilt and shame of our sin. Then, verse 19 says, He will be pleased with offerings of righteousness (doing the right thing) and giving.
Verse 18 is also worthy of note. David realizes that his sin will affect those around him so he prays that God will bless them. When you and I have sinned may we pray that any peripheral damage would be minimized and that God would bless those affected. May we also maintain a brokenness before Him that we might be restored, thereby offering to Him the right gift.