Is Your Heart Tender or Hard as a Stone?

O. T. #1927  "Is Your Heart Tender or Hard as a Stone?"

April 23, 2021

Ezekiel 36-Part 2

LET IT GLOW

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.   (verse 5)

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (verse 10)

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (verse 11)

Is God your place of security? He is never too busy, but is always available to us. He never leaves us, too. Right early God will help us when we cry out to Him. Sometimes we just need to be still and know He is God and never looses control. 

LET IT GROW

 Why did God pour our His fury upon the heathen nations? Why did He scatter them? It was because they profaned God's holy name. (verse 20,22)

Looking at verse 22, God says that He will:

•  sanctify His great name, not for Israel's sake, but for God's sake. (Israel had also profaned His holy name.)
• Then God would sanctify Israel before the heathen's eyes. (verse 23)
• He would cleanse Israel from their filthiness and idols. (verse 25)
• A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. (verse 26)

Sin can stiffen us allowing evil to take over our lives. It can cause our heart to turn hard toward God. Our heart is deceitfully wicked when left to itself. In the end, it can destroy us. this stony heart can lead us down a path of destruction.

The more sin we allow to pass over our hearts and through our lives, the more resistant we become to a word from God. (Blackaby)

God can separate us from the influences that are destroying us. (verse 24) God can cleanse us from our sins. (verse 25) When we ask, God will remove our hardened heart and filthiness, selfishness, pride, and give us a new heart and new spirit. Do we need a heart of flesh that is tender toward God and His Word? Is our love for God what it should be today? Is He waiting to restore our devotion to Him? It is through the death of Jesus that we are able to come to God.

LET IT GO

Help me to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You, Jesus.

Forgive me of my pride and selfishness.

I need a new heart and a new spirit again today, Lord.