Scripture of The Day
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)
I really love the scripture of the day today. Every time I read it, I feel like the prophet is telling us about God’s plan for Jesus to come and redeem us and make all things new!
It was His plan all along. For us to be His people and to love only Him and to put Him first in our lives. It could also be a warning so that people whose hearts are still divided and devoted to other things won’t be transformed. Having a stone-cold heart is a miserable thing. It makes life harder than it has to be. Turning back to God can be a huge, courageous step, especially if it means leaving old habits and attitudes behind.
God had to deal with a rebellious and stubborn people in Ezekiel’s day. Of course, those people were not much different than most people we find in history. However, God promised a day when the hard-hearts of his people would be replaced with life-giving hearts, transformed by a new spirit, his Holy Spirit. In that day, under the covenant between God and his people, obedience would come from the transforming power of His Spirit as the people called on the Spirit and as He empowered them to obedience through knowing the will of God.
My prayer today is that God will continue to work His will in my heart and your heart. I pray He empowers us to live a life of honor, obedience and holiness through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
