What are the sweetest sounds that rise up to the ears of God in heaven? What can we say to the Lord that will cause Him to rejoice? Is it, “God, look at how good I am. Check out all my good deeds. See how holy I am. You sure are blessed to have me as your child”. That just doesn’t sound right does it? The loveliest sound we make before God that will really touch His heart is, “Oh Lord, You are a holy and awesome God and I am a sinner. I am nothing without you. Please grant me Your mercy and forgiveness and patience and kindness and love”. The reason that is the loveliest sound to God is because we are letting God know we understand who we are – ESPECIALLY IN COMPARISON TO HIM. We are telling God we know He is the Great I AM. We bow before Him as the sovereign King who loves us and wants us to be His children as we humble ourselves before Him. Read Psalm 51:17 and Luke 18:9–14. Then listen to the song by Starfield that says it very succinctly entitled The Loveliest Sound.
Psalm 51:17
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
Luke 18:9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”