Psalm 51:14-17  Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.   O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.   For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.   The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

David knew that bringing many sacrifices was not what would ultimately be pleasing to the Lord.  “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22)  A repentant heart and a posture of submission to the Lord is what honors Him.

Timothy Keller, in his book, “The Songs of Jesus,” wrote that the broken and contrite heart God wants “is a heart that knows how little it deserves yet how much it has received.”

“Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Heavenly Father, I humbly and reverently glorify Your name.  You who took the sinless Christ and poured our sins into Him, and in exchange poured Your goodness into us.  I will praise You all the days of my life.  Amen. (Based on 2 Corinthians 5:21 TLB)