Ezekiel 36:26 “‘Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.’”
HARD TO SOFT
Have you ever known someone who was just plain ornery? I have. Everything they say is said with a critique or a jab. They always look mad – mad at the world. You can just picture their heart being made of stone, can’t you? We would call them hard hearted. That’s what we were before Christ. God called His children the same. But He changed them, and He can change us.
My old heart of stone, that cold, hard muscle in my chest, was removed and the Lord replaced it with a soft, moldable one. This one had been fashioned by Christ. It had His stamp on it. In fact, His Spirit now lives in it. He is the one who directs my thoughts and words now, at least when I surrender to Him daily.
TEACHING MOMENT
I am sure little Johnny has probably said something harsh or mean to someone, hasn’t he? Those are the moments we talk about our hearts. Those are the opportunities to point out the hardness of our hearts without Christ. Most children really want to be sensitive to others, but that flesh gets in the way. That original hard heart is tough.
How do you keep your heart tender and soft towards the things of the Lord? You stay in His Word. You keep an attitude of prayer. You spend time with the Father. He will keep His hands firmly on your heart massaging and manipulating (in a good way) it towards things that please Him. A soft heart pumps much better than a hard one.
So, is your heart hard or soft? Is it a rock or flesh? How do you view life – with cynicism or hope? Open your chest to the master cardiologist. He wants to give you a heart transplant. And this heart He wants to give you does not have to be cross checked for compatibility. His heart fits all chests – guaranteed.
A Moment In Time 