Lessons from a Cave—A Heart Made Soft

​Before continuing with Psalm 142, I want to remind you of the special place brokenness has in a relationship with God. According to Isaiah 57:15, God lives in two very contrasting places. The first—a high and holy place in eternity—is well known.  The other, not as well known, is a contrite spirit.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15
David came to understand that a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart were pleasing sacrifices to God. 
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16
David uses the Hebrew word dakah for ‘broken spirit which means ‘to crush or to humble’. In speaking of the contrite heart David uses the Hebrew word shabar which means ‘to break to pieces’.  They do not mean ‘ to destroy’. These words describe a process similar to that of tenderizing a tough steak by breaking down the tough muscle fibres or carefully pounding leather to make it soft and supple. They mean ‘to be surrendered to God, and to make soft’.  In the wilderness David learnt that God uses times of isolation to break down our pride, self-centredness, stubbornness, and self-reliance.  God considers this process an acceptable sacrifice. Therefore, our response of submission is our act of worship!