Becoming a Warrior

“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”  Psalm 51:17

Why is it that we try so hard to be strong? Why do we try so hard to mend our own hearts or act like they aren’t broke? How often are you afraid of showing anything that you consider to be weakness before anyone else because it sets you up for more heartache?

The Hebrew word for broken is shabar and it means abolish (1), break (25), break down (1), breaking in pieces (1), breaks (5), breaks in pieces (1), bring to the point (1), broke (9), broke in pieces (6), broke the in pieces (1), broke down (1), broken (55), broken down (1), broken off (1), brokenhearted* (3), collapse (1), crush (2), crushed (2), demolished (1), destroy (2), fractured (1), hurt (2), injured (1), pieces (1), placed (1), point of birth (1), quench (1), shatter (2), shattered (13), smash (3), smashed (2), tore down (1), torn (2).

Contrite (dakah) comes from a primitive root ( dak, daka’) which means to collapse physically or mentally. Think about this…. when you are broken, brokenhearted, crushed, demolished, fractured, hurt, shattered whether it be physically or mentally God is not going to laugh at you, He isn’t going to turn away and say, “I’m sick of listening to this girl”. And how do I know this? It all comes down to that word “despise”.

Despise in Hebrew is bazah and it means show disdain, contempt, scorn, or view you as a vile person. The word tells us that “He doesn’t despise us”, instead He see’s His baby girl that has been beat down, bruised, abused and perhaps even broken in her own sin coming to Him and He’s there welcoming us, wanting to heal us and love us. Think of our Messiah’s words…

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

How do I know He desires to heal us?

“For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).

That word revive is chayah which is related to the Hebrew word chai which means life. Chayah means make live, nourish up, promise to give life, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, make whole.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds Psalms 147:3

This is a promise from Him for each of us. Take time this week to present yourself to Him, share every heartbreak, wound or bruise. Nothing is too small, just pour it out to Him. You can even take notes on what you want to share with Him, or notes on what He puts on your heart. Reflect on His words shared in this post and speak these verses out loud over and over to cement them into your being. Think about the meanings of words like chayah and ask Him to heal you, nourish you and make you whole because Isaiah 57 shows you that it’s His will.

Last of all, just spend time thanking Him for His love, kindness, nourishment, and how He is restoring you and making you whole. I know that sometimes its hard to praise, to find things to be thankful for when everything we see with our physical eyes seems hopeless and everything our mind is telling us is dark.

¹⁵ Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15

It wouldn’t be a sacrifice if it was easy though would it? And what you are doing is fighting that hopelessness and creating an atmosphere for the Lord to move in.