Scripture Reading: “Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.” (Psalm 51:19)
Notice, in his sin, David had no hope of offering God a desired sacrifice (v. 16). The only thing he could give that God would gladly receive was his heart (v. 17). And when it came to his heart, it too would have been unacceptable to God unless it had been prepared for God’s altar by being broken by God’s Spirit.
Once David had been broken and made right with God, he could offer to God the pleasing sacrifices of righteousness. Salted with the Spirit and lovingly offered in worship of the merciful God by whom he had been forgiven, David’s sacrifices would then be a sweet smelling aroma in the nostrils of the Almighty.
According to the Apostle Peter, all of us today, who like David of old, have been broken by God’s Spirit and entered into a right relationship with God, are “living stones” that are being “built into a spiritual house” so that we, as “an holy priesthood,” can “offer up spiritual sacrifices,” which are “acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Through Christ our Spirit-salted and lovingly offered sacrifices of worship are made pleasing to God. May we therefore never cease to offer up to our merciful God the pleasing sacrifice of our praise.
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)