BROKEN AND REAL BEFORE GOD
Dylan Blanton
Today’s Scripture: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17, ESV
Theme: God wants surrender, not performance.
KING DAVID SURRENDERS
David was a King! He had authority, influence, and power! Yet this passage is not the prayer of a king standing tall. It is the cry of a man brought low, stripped of the pride and authority he once leaned on. It is in that place that David discovers that God is not moved to action because of our strength or authority; He was moved because David came to Him in total surrender.
The spiritual authority that we seek isn’t found because we assert ourselves as someone in control; it is found when we come to the end of ourselves and start depending on God. When we develop a heart that stops pretending to have the answers and starts yielding to God’s will and His plan, that is where true strength is found.
SURRENDER, NOT PERFORMANCE
A “broken and contrite heart” isn’t about being crushed or weak. It’s about being real. It’s the moment we stop trying to impress God and start trusting Him. We have the urge to project strength by appearing put together, spiritually mature, and in complete control. However, God isn’t looking for polished and perfect. He is looking for honesty and surrender. God’s work begins where our pretending ends.
David didn’t bring a list of accomplishments and authority to God; he had already tried that and found that it wasn’t enough. Instead, he brings honest repentance and a willingness to be dependent on God. Just like David, we spend a lot of time looking to present ourselves as strong in front of others, ourselves, and even God. Getting to the place of a “broken and contrite heart” doesn’t mean that we are defeated; it just means that we have stopped pretending that we can do this on our own. We have reached the end of “me” and must rely on God.
WHERE AUTHORITY COMES FROM
In Acts 19:13-20, we see a group of people traveling around, casting out evil spirits. These people weren’t nobodies; some of them were the sons of a priest! They commanded the evil spirits to come out in the Name of “Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.” In verse 15, the demonic spirit responds to them and says, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” and then the spirit drove the so-called exorcists from the house! This is an example of what can happen when we try to assert our authority instead of God’s authority. Though they used Jesus’ Name and claimed to have power, they were only performing, and thus they had no authority.
Make It Personal: There are moments in life when our strength simply isn’t enough. Moments when our titles, accomplishments, and influence are painfully small. It is in these moments that we realize that we can’t earn our way to Christ with our performances. You simply have to come and He will receive you. Surrender is not the end of spiritual life; it is the doorway to experience it! Take time today to reflect on what parts of your life you are still trying to control. Where are you trying to look strong instead of being honest with yourself and with God?
Pray: Lord, teach me to stop performing and start surrendering. Help me see that true authority comes from depending on You, not asserting myself. Give me a heart that is honest, humble, and open, a heart You will never despise. Let my weakness be the place where Your strength is revealed. Help me come to the end of myself so I can step through the doorway into a deeper spiritual life in You! Amen.
Read: Acts 19:13-20, Matthew 6:1-4
Weekly Memory Verse: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” Deuteronomy 10:12, ESV