A new heart
Ian El-Paget
May 12, 2024
Add to Favourites
Listen to this daily worship
Ezekiel 36: 25-26 (NRSVA)
25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
In this excerpt from Ezekiel chapter 36 God speaks to his people, displaying His vast mercy and unfailing love, his faithfulness (hesed) towards his covenant nation.
Having ejected them from the land because of their defilement, they have ruined his name among the nations.
Has your name ever become mud as a result of someone else’s actions?
How would you respond to a person you trusted to represent you and instead they have ruined your reputation?
God’s response is not like ours, it’s selfless agape love in action.
Some people think the God of the Old Testament is an angry God, that is stinking thinking, consider His actions.
He cleanses them from their impurity
He replaces their hard stone-like hearts with fleshy caring hearts
He puts a different spirit in to them, His Spirit
He motivates them to follow Him
and finally He promises good things for them.
Who is this God that systematically returns good for evil?
Who brings mercy and restoration to a ruined relationship?
more to the point
‘Who is man that you are mindful of Him’ cries the psalmist.
Prayer:
Who am I, that you would deal with me this way?
What a merciful merciful merciful God You are!
Login to comment.