When I was a young boy, a few of my friends had fathers who led their families in daily Bible reading and never missed a church service. But I also knew that some of them were proud, tyrants at home, ruthless in their business dealings, and heartless toward people in need. Although I was young, I knew this kind of hypocrisy did not please God.

I was grateful that my father and several other men I knew modeled true faith and humility. They were quick to admit their wrongs and treated others with compassion. They obviously saw themselves as unworthy recipients of God's wonderful grace.

In Psalm 51, David expressed his deep sense of guilt and his desperate need for God's forgiveness and cleansing. As he grieved over his sin, he came to the Lord with the sacrifice of "a broken and a contrite heart" (v.17). When David thought about God's love, mercy, and grace, he was filled with gratitude and praise.

If we recognize the seriousness of our sin, we too will come to the Lord with the sacrifice of "a broken and a contrite heart." As we consider what Jesus did for us on the cross, taking the full punishment for all our sins, then we will be overwhelmed with the wonder of grace.  —HVL  — Herbert Vander Lugt