Proud vs. Broken

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, 
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; 
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up, 
that to be low is to be high, 
that the broken heart is the healed heart, 
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, 
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, 
that to have nothing is to possess all, 
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, 
that to give is to receive, 
that the valley is the place of vision. - a Puritan prayer

That is where God desires us, broken and wholly dependant upon Him.  We want the mountain tops. The victories. Yet God uses us most when we are brought low. In 1995 at a CRU staff conference I heard Nancy Leigh DeMoss speak about the difference between the proud and broken heart. God used that talk, by the power of His Spirit, to break down my heart and bring about a localized revival that stirred among many of the staff that summer. The contrast between a proud heart and a broken heart that Nancy Leigh DeMoss outlined, I have made available for download below.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17

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