“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
Well, today is the big day. The day when we give cards, flowers, stuffed animals, jewelry, or whatever we can think of to let those we love know how much we care for them. Since I’m a guy I am very limited in my creativity in choosing something to let my wife know that I love her. I find myself in the grocery store looking through the cards, and looking around to find something I can get her. I know I’m not alone, because I look up and see other guys with the same look on their faces as I have. You know, that look right? The look that says “I don’t have a clue what I’m doing here, but I have to have something!”
Here’s an idea, how about a box of ashes? What kind of candy is that? You might ask. Or where do I get that? Well, it’s not a candy, I truly mean ashes. Like the kind that are left over in the fireplace after burning a fire for the last two days. By now, you are saying, yea, he is right, he has no idea what to do for Valentine’s Day! Don’t listen to him. And the ladies reading this are probably saying the same thing!
I want you to think of something though. Today is also Ash Wednesday. A day when Christians all over the world stop and look inward at themselves and go before God and acknowledge their sinfulness and receive the imposition of a cross on their foreheads to remind them that if it weren’t for the grace of God their lives would be nothing but ashes. Nothing but death to look forward to instead of eternal life through Jesus! Which brings me to the Psalm above. David wrote this particular Psalm after having committed adultery with Bathsheba and killing his good friend Uriah. God forgave him because he confessed his sins, and had a broken and contrite heart. And that is what God really wants us to do. Just to admit when we fail Him, and be sorry in our hearts. That is what ii is supposed to mean when we receive the ashes. And as it says in verse 17, a broken and contrite heart you, God will not despise. In other words, when we come openly and honestly before God, we can experience the power of His love! It takes being honest!
Now back to Valentine’s Day. When I say how about a box of ashes, I mean why not open your heart up to the one’s you love. Ask them to forgive you for the times you didn’t show them the love you should have, or the hurtful things you said or did. In other words show them how broken your heart is that you didn’t love them the way you should have! If it blesses God, I can assure you that it will bless your spouse as well! Once you do that, then the box of chocolate, and taking them out to eat will have a tremendous impact! Have a great Valentine’s Day, and don’t forget to acknowledge your sinfulness to the Father with a broken and contrite heart!