DEAD TO SELF V

“A Contrite Heart” by Mike Bennett

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalms 34:18 NKJV

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
Psalms 51:17 NKJV

The Hebrew words translated “heart” referred to “a person’s inner being. … To the Hebrews, the heart was the seat of the affections, will, and mind” (NKJV Study Bible, Wordfocus, “heart,” p. 930). In these passages, spirit also refers to our inner being, our disposition or our very life.

So having a contrite heart means recognizing our sinfulness and brokenness. It means being humble and teachable. The word translated “contrite” in Psalm 51 means “to be broken, crushed” (Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon). The related word in Psalm 34 means “(1) very much crushed, broken very small … poet. for dust … (2) broken in spirit, cast down.”

Here are some other ways Psalm 51:17 is translated: “chastened heart” (International Standard Version), “humbled heart” (Christian Standard Bible), “repentant heart” (Good News Translation), “sorrowful heart” (God’s Word Translation).

Here are some ways Psalm 34:18 is translated: “bruised of spirit” (Young’s Literal Translation), “a crushed spirit” (World English Bible), “humble of spirit” (Douay-Rheims Bible), “discouraged and have given up hope” (Contemporary English Version).

So having a contrite heart means recognizing our sinfulness and brokenness. It means being humble and teachable. It means hitting bottom and realizing that only God and following His way can turn things around for us. Being crushed, bruised and broken is a prerequisite for being healed, forgiven and transformed.

#dyingtoself #deadtoself #Righteousness #Holiness #theExchangedLife