“I will give them an undivided heart
and put a new spirit in them;
I will remove from them their heart of stone
and give them a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 11:19
When we turn over control of our lives to God, we receive a new spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to abide in us. We have a new heart, and we become a new person in Christ.
Apart from Jesus, our hearts are hard, resistant, and rebellious. But because of God’s gift, we receive hearts that are softened by His Spirit—pliable, teachable hearts of flesh.
Salvation results when we transfer our trust from ourselves (or anything else) and place our trust in Him. Walking with Christ for sanctification requires the same choice to trust.
It is a daily decision we must settle: Who is in charge?
Our soft hearts can become hardened when we resist His prompting—when we refuse to do the good thing He calls us to, or when we refuse to stop doing what we know He is prompting us to avoid.
When a child of God refuses to heed God’s voice, she experiences a hardening of heart that robs her of peace and joy.
God loves us too much to leave us there. He calls us to repentance. Our refusal finds us weighted down with shame and guilt, trudging through life with a burden we need not carry.
Have you been there? Are you there now?
Why not let this year—this day—be the time you decide enough is enough? Choose to submit to His drawing and calling. Allow Him to soften your heart of stone and restore your heart of flesh. As we yield, He provides. Purpose and meaning return. We are overwhelmed by His joy and peace. Worship flows.
A heart of flesh is not hardened to God, but teachable and receptive … ready to pivot in the direction He leads. Sounds like a great way to live out 2021!
O Lord, give me and those reading today an undivided heart.
We choose this day—and this year—to be ALL IN.
Our desire is to be fully devoted to You always and in all ways.
Remove our hearts of stone. Give us hearts of flesh.
Have you downloaded the January Write the WORD bookmark and S.O.A.P. study pages? If not, it isn’t too late to join women from all over the country as we explore what the Bible says about the word NEW. Click HERE to download your free resources today!
I also hope you’ll visit our Facebook page to accept an invitation to our January Write The WORD Challenge!
