Ezekiel 11:18-21- “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols.I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols, I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

God has an active role in creating spiritual renewal in the people of Israel and in our lives today. The symbolism in Ezekiel 11:19 about God performing heart surgery on us shows that we can’t do this ourselves. At the same time, it is clear from Ezekiel 18:31 that we are commanded to make ourselves a new heart by putting our faith in the Lord. Both God’s role and our response are at work.

A heart of stone is unreceptive, dead, and unfeeling toward God. Apart from God, we are hopeless. We don’t need quadruple bypass surgery; we need a total heart transplant. The kindness of God leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). We who are in Christ are now soft-hearted and receptive to the Lord, and we become conduits of his life. As you think about those you know who need Christ, be mindful of the miraculous heart transplant required.

Lord, what a miracle you have worked in my heart! I look to you to soften the hardest hearts in those around me.