Category: Having a Contrite Spirit

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

Every once in a while, a specific word will stand out to me when I’m reading various scriptures, verses, etc.

The word “contrite” always seems to catch my attention. It’s probably a word that we all overlook frequently when we see it, passing right over it as we continue to read.

But this word is actually very important, not only to the meaning of a verse where it’s used, but also in our own understanding when it comes to knowing God’s heart and His desires for His people.

Contrite: feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt. Remorseful, repentant, conscience-stricken.

So, having a contrite spirit means that we are truly repentant, sorry for our sins.

This doesn’t mean that we have to walk around with our heads hanging down, displaying outwardly visible signs of our repentant state. This may indeed happen to one degree or another. But God is more concerned with the inward state of our heart.

Part of salvation is recognizing our sin and our need to repent. It’s at the very moment that our heart becomes broken before God (due to our sin), and our spirit becomes contrite (repentant, sorry for our sins), that we walk through the door to new life as we put our faith in Jesus, our Savior.

As with everything else in our walk with God, it’s not about our outward appearance, but about the state of our heart. We can make ourselves appear remorseful on the outside, but still unrepentant and defiant on the inside.

Just a gentle reminder today that having a contrite heart is what God asks of us 🙂

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808

401-315-0902

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