- Not Despise
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
“Not despise” is a very understated way of saying “like a lot.” The promise is that God receives, pays attention to and has favorable regard to the person who comes to Him with a broken spirit; the promise is that He will hear his prayer; the promise is that He accepts him in his pitiful and helpless state; the promise is that He responds to and loves the broken and sorrowful heart.
A broken spirit results from trying our best to do good and keep the Commandments and continually failing; a broken spirit results when expectations fall short and hopes disappoint; a broken spirit results when sin and guilt intrude upon conscious awareness; a broken spirit results when things are going very badly and it dawns on me that some of it may be my own fault. In other words, a broken spirit, and a contrite heart, comes about sometimes from just living on earth.
When the spirit is broken and we are not sure what to do or where to turn, turning to the Lord in repentance and prayer is a good thing. God loves it when we turn to Him in great need and even in despair; He loves to forgive the sinner, repair the broken, lift up the down and out and comfort the sorrowful. Not only does He promise that He will not despise you but He will love you and fix it for you.
If life has not broken your spirit take preventive action: let your spirit be broken under the hammer of the Law, convicting of sin and warning of punishment; plead for mercy before the throne of grace and let the Lord love you. When God breaks He does so gently; when Sin breaks it is not so gentle, but God will still put you together if you come to Him. If you fall on Him in faith He will repair the cracks; if He falls on you because of unbelief and pride you will be crushed.