"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:25-26.
There is nothing like getting a brand-new pair of tennis shoes, is there? I do not purchase a new pair of shoes often, but when I do, it is so exciting. They are so comfortable and supportive, and they make exercise much more enjoyable. The funny thing is I don't realize how badly I needed a new pair until I put on my new pair of shoes and compare them with my old pair. The new pair is always so much better than the old pair. Just like I did not realize how badly I needed new tennis shoes at first, many of do not realize that we are in need of a new heart until we turn to God.
Throughout the book of Ezekiel, it is clear that the people of Israel need a new heart, even if they do not realize it at first. In Ezekiel 36, God tells the prophet that, despite their disobedience, He will give the Israelites a new heart. He will completely restore Israel. He will change their emotions and desires so that they align with His. What beautiful, comforting news this must have been for Israel!
God does the same thing for us when we turn to Him. We come to him with hard, unresponsive hearts, and He replaces those hearts with brand-new hearts. We are no longer our old selves. Instead, we are new! He will replace our selfish, sinful desires with His desires. He makes us new. Have you turned to God, asking Him to give you a new heart and make you new? He will provide you with a new, pure heart that longs to follow and serve Him.
Are you in need of a brand-new heart today? Maybe your heart has been cold, wanting the things of this world instead of Him. Today, give your heart to Him and ask Him to take it and replace it with a new heart. Perhaps you have been given a new heart, but you find yourself distracted by the things of this world. Take time today to re-focus your heart back to Him. Listen to a sermon or Christian podcast, worship to your favorite worship song, read the Bible, or whatever it is that best connects you with God. These things will allow you to focus your heart back on Him.
Read Ezekiel 36:25-38 (NLT)
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
“And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior. I will give you good crops of grain, and I will send no more famines on the land. I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines. Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did. But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done!
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed. And when I bring you back, people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’ Then the surrounding nations that survive will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted the wasteland. For I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say.
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock. They will be as numerous as the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem’s streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more, and everyone will know that I am the Lord.”
©2024 Sagebrush Church
