Devotion: Ezekiel 36:26

Ezekiel 36:26 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. 

The book of Ezekiel was written to the people of Israel while they were exiled in Babylon. They had spent centuries living in idolatry and rebellion, refusing to listen to the warnings from the prophets of God and were exiled as a result. But despite that, God still promised to redeem His people. He promised to not only redeem them, but to also perform a supernatural transplant – taking their hearts of stone and replacing them with hearts of flesh.

Let’s look at the hearts mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel.

First, we have a heart of stone. This represents a hard, unresponsive disposition towards our God. It is synonymous with a rebellious, stubborn, selfish nature that acts in its own interest rather than in His interests. We had hearts of stone before we were redeemed and saved from our lives of sin. We lived for ourselves and not for God or His kingdom. And this is where many people remain today, whether non-believers who have yet to experience the grace of God or believers who have turned away due to church hurt, overwhelming trials, loss, etc.

This is then replaced with a heart of flesh. Flesh is alive, it grows, it responds. This represents a softened disposition, a heart that is receptive to His promptings, and a spirit that is alive and capable of sensing God’s will for our lives. This is where we want to be, where we need to be. We want our hearts to be flesh, to be alive and responsive, receptive and renewed each day.

Another way to look at it is the presence of the Holy Spirit or His absence. We are not talking about believers who have hardened their hearts here. We are speaking of salvation. It describes the process of being born again. God’s Spirit dwells within the believer, giving them the desire to live an obedient life for Him, rather than a life of rebellion for themselves. Being given a new heart or a new spirit symbolizes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and a restored nature and disposition, the beginning of a real relationship with God.

If you are living in rebellion, let me invite you to come into His presence today. Step into the warmth of His embrace and feel your heart of stone transform into a heart of flesh. Let the Spirit fill you and allow Him to do what only He can do, fix a broken, stubborn nature of rebellion.

Prayer: Lord, Change my heart. Chisel away the stony outer casing and reveal the tender, receptive heart of flesh within. Let me live for You, not for myself. Amen 

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