Heaven Knocking on Our Door- DAY 10- January 17, 2020

Day Ten

A New Heart

Scripture:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”  Ezekiel 36:26

Thought:

The heart and spirit are mentioned together in this passage.  They are distinctly different but connected.  How so?  The spirit of a person is the person.  The heart, as referenced in the Bible, is the kind of person that we are.  If we are mean-spirited, then we are said to be hard-hearted.  If we are kind- hearted, then we are seen to have a good spirit.  The heart is almost like a thermostat that determines the climate of a person’s life.  Needless to say that God sees the removal of a “heart of stone” and replacing it with “a heart of flesh,” to be a necessary thing for His child.  It is a good thing if we will allow Him to do it.  It starts with our invitation for Him to work on our heart.  He awaits this request and will respond.

Application:

If I were to look back and try to see the most significant and important transformation in my life, I would have to say that it has been the removal of the heart of stone that I had.  I was born with it, and it was made harder and more resolute to become even tougher as I grew up.  Maybe it was a survival instinct?  Maybe it was because of bullying?  For sure it was a natural thing that got worse in time.  The problem is it was eating me alive on the inside.  It initially projected outward as a defense.  But it all returned back to me, and the effect of it was tearing me up.  I cried out to God, not knowing where the problem was centered that made me feel out of sorts most all of the time.  He answered my prayer with a spiritual surgery that took years to complete.  It is still going on, for there has been much to remove, and much to replace it with.  But thank God, I am in recovery.  I have a new spiritual heart.

Response:

Father, I am grateful that You looked into me and helped me see where the greatest change was needed in my life.  I am grateful that You undertook the spiritual surgery needed to replace my heart of stone.  You are indeed the Master Physician, and that You can skillfully reform a man like me, is something only You can do.

Lord I give You this new life with this new heart within me, to help others see the difference You can make if they will submit to Your plans for them.  They need to see that Your good plans for them require that a hard heart be replaced with a good heart.  I know it will begin there for them, for I know it had to begin there with me.  I ask these things in the name of Jesus my Savior.

 Your Child