Psalm_____51

Scripture - What stood out?Psalms 5116 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17 My sacrifice, O God, is[a] a broken spirit;    a broken and contrite heart

    you, God, will not despise. Observation - What does it say?King David, finally convinced of his sin, continues to pour himself and his heart out to God in this moving and penitent Psalm. Understanding - What does it mean?Was King David ahead of the game, or what? In a culture and time where forgiveness of sins revolved around the laws of sacrifice for David to utter these words was probably a shocker to some, especially the sticklers for the rules. But he was the king.  For me these words share so much insight into the tension that exists between what is required of the law, and what God actually wants. God does not delight in what needs to happen to sinners or the ways in which we try to make up for it, but instead  wants so badly for us to turn our hearts to Him. God doesn’t delight in our sacrifice. He delights in a heart that he can love. Isn’t it so interesting that sometimes it takes a broken spirit and a contrite heart in order to correctly view our place in the world? Or one step further, our place with God? David was a king with absolute power...in THIS world. And yet he still chose to break his own spirit, and turn his heart to God. He chose to treat himself as lesser than in relation to the Lord.  Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today? I am reading this fantastic book right now and I am admitting to stealing my life application from it. Pastor and author Gary Khan  writes in his book Reset on day 4: Has God used your painful and sinful experiences to help others? How have you seen it? Take a moment to surrender your life before God. Give Him every part and ask Him to use you for His honor and glory.Specifically ask Him to use you to minister His love and grace to the people around you. Use me Lord. In the name of Jesus, amen.-kenneth lee