God is the mender in our lives. He is the only one who can pick up the pieces and put them back together. He can restore what was broken. If we drop a clay pot and it shatters, we can work and work to try and glue each piece where it once was, but it will never be the same again. God, however, not only picks up the pieces, but He puts them back together and makes it look like new again. He is the only one who can. We cannot put ourselves back together.
In the Old Testament, the people of Israel would burn sacrifices to offer something pleasing to God and try and mend the broken relationship. The sacrifices were meant to cover their sins, yet there were never enough. They had different sacrifices for different types of sins, too. David realized in Psalm 51 that the actual action of the sacrifices was not what God delighted in. In fact he said in verse 16, “You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.” What he realized changed his entire relationship with God. He said in verse 17, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” David realized that what God really desired of Him was a broken and repentant heart! It was about the attitude of his heart, not the actions of his hands. Our hands can lift up in praise, but if we are not repenting before Him, then our praise means nothing!
Jesus became the sacrifice once and for all in the New Testament. He sacrificed His life for our sins so that we could be free in Christ. What do you need to do today to fix what has been broken? How can you restore your relationship with God? It starts with prayer and asking for Him to accept your repentance and forgive you for straying away. He will mend what was once broken!