March 23

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  Ezekiel 36:26

Ezekiel 36:26 is the “Gospel of the Old Testament.”  It describes God removing a heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh.  God is performing a divine heart transplant.  It is the only permanent solution to a “heart that is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9).  God is not satisfied with the heart of stone the Jewish exiles had living in Babylon, and He is not satisfied with our heart of stone.  There is only one solution to our heart condition - to the heart that is sinful and prone to evil.  The Creator of the universe is also the Creator of our hearts.  It is He, and He alone, that will give us a new heart, a heart of flesh.  We become a new creation when God performs the spiritual and divine heart transplant He alone is capable of doing.  

Something unique about this verse is there is no requirement for the people to do anything.  There is no “to-do” list for the exiles - or for us.  It is God doing the work. “I will give..and put.  I will remove…and give.”  A heart of stone represents a soul that has become cold, unresponsive, and dead to God.  There may be many reasons for developing a heart of stone, but in the end it reflects a life that is not focused on God, drifting aimlessly on its own, while experiencing spiritual drought (death).  A heart of stone may hear the truth that is spoken, but is unable to feel it or respond to it.  Like a stone, it is lifeless, rigid, and stubborn.  What is God’s cure for this condition of the heart?  He will perform the spiritual surgery needed and give a heart of flesh.  This is a living heart.  A heart that is soft, warm, sensitive, and responsive to Him.  A heart of flesh is one that is shaped and molded by the Master Potter.  It is a heart that seeks God and desires to serve and follow Him. 

Think about a stone.  It can be polished, painted, carved, and even broken into pieces.  But, at its core, it is still cold and dead.  There is no life to it.  It stays where it is put and unable to move.  All the polishing of our outside doesn’t matter if our heart is one that is cold.  We can “paint” the exterior and try to beautify what others see, but if our heart is a stone, all the “exterior enhancements” are meaningless.  It’s not the outside that needs attention and changing; we need a brand-new engine.  One that chases after God.  One that seeks Him and desires to be in His presence.  If you’re feeling like your heart has become cynical, hard, critical, and “lifeless,” let this verse remind you that God is the Divine Surgeon.  His speciality is removing cold and lifeless hearts of stone and restoring them with ones that love and follow Him.

Father - You are the Great Physician.  I come to You today acknowledging that sometimes my heart feels like stone - cold to Your touch, rigid, and stuck in my own ways.  I confess that I often try to “polish” my outside behavior while remaining unresponsive in my heart.  Forgive me.  Remove my heart of stone.  Take away everything that prevents me from truly feeling Your presence in my life.  Give me a heart of flesh that is responsive to You.  I want a heart that breaks for what breaks Yours and rejoices in the things that bring You joy.  I desire a new heart that only You can give.  May my life be the evidence of this spiritual transplant.  In Your name we pray.  Amen