Ezekiel 11:19, 20 - The New Heart and New Spirit.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20: The New Heart and New Spirit.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 (NIV) 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.
Ezekiel 11:19, 20 (NLT) And I will give them singleness of heart
and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of
stone and give them tender hearts instead, so they will obey my laws
and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be
their God.
COMMENTARY PEARL
If I've learned one thing from working out, it's what happens
when I stop for a while. Usually because of injury, and sometimes
when my schedule gets too busy, I'm forced to skip the gym. But I can
always tell the difference when I return.
Without exercise, our muscles atrophy. They become weaker and
get stiffer at the same time. Without the benefit of regular
exercise, our muscles deteriorate until they can no longer support us or
perform the regular functions they once maintained. To be healthy, we
must keep moving, stimulating our muscles in order for them to grow
stronger.
Our heart muscles work the same way, both literally and
figuratively. When we're not praying, giving, serving, and loving on a daily
basis, it becomes harder and harder to feel connected to God, to relate
to other people, and to feel the joy that comes from serving them.
Stone hearts don't harden overnight. They gradually atrophy
until we find ourselves with a heart as cold as granite. Regular
exercise allows us to love more deeply and serve more humbly. It keeps
our heart tender and compassionate, alive and grateful
Power Lift
Dear Lord, I want my heart to be alive and tender, not hard
and cold. Even when it's painful, help me to be sensitive to the
needs of others. [Daily Power by Craig Groeschel]
COMMENTARY
Ezekiel's prophecies are harsh, stern indictments against
Judah and her sins. But sandwiched between the many rebukes are
several passages of marvelous hope. This is one of them, and its message
is repeated later in chapter 36. It's a promise not just to bring
God's people back into the land He had promised them long ago; its a
promise to correct the fundamental problem that led them into judgment
to begin with. He promises to fix their hearts.
That's an amazing promise if you think about it. Many propose
for our world political, economic, military, social, and religious
remedies. We've heard that the answer is education or adequate health care
or pursuing world peace. But God promises something more
fundamental, more at the heart of the problems of the human race. He promises
to change what's in our core. It's the only plausible solution for
a world that has tried all of the above answers and failed. You
won't get perfect solutions from flawed people. God foretells a day
when He will address the fundamental flaw.
And what is that flaw? We have divided hearts and dead
spirits. That happened at the Fall in Eden, when for some reason we
decided to believe the serpent's suggestion that God must be holding out
on us. It was a lie of epic proportions, and the consequences have
been devastating. East of Eden, where God seemed so much more
invisible and distant than before, we learned to depend on ourselves. It
was the only way we could cope, we thought. But in so doing, we
developed other allegiances - attachments to what we thought would fulfill
us, give us power, or save us. We became idolaters.
God has a solution. He foretold it in Ezekiel and elsewhere,
and He fulfilled it in His Son. The radical truth of the Kingdom is
that the human heart really can, contrary to popular opinion, change
from the inside out. It can be reborn, reconstructed, rewired for the
Spirit of God Himself. It can be made whole. [The One Year Heaven On
Earth Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
If you've raised children, you know about selective hearing.
Whisper something about them while they're watching TV, and they perk up
immediately. Ask them about their homework in a normal tone of voice, and
they somehow don't hear...
God's Word is God's Word whether we accept it or reject it.
In our most rebellious times, we - like the people Ezekiel was
addressing - may not hear, but we can't say that God does not speak to us.
The truth is that we simply do not want to listen. Ezekiel's
audience had the ability to hear God's warnings, but their sin
desensitized them to God's words. The same thing happens to us.
Repeatedly disobeying God leads to a hardening of the heart
until we are impervious to the Holy Spirit's conviction. Nevertheless,
God offers to replace our "stony heart" with a heart of flesh that
is soft and tender toward Him. If you have developed a hard heart,
turn to God, repent, and receive a heart of flesh. Then you will find
yourself seeking His promises and desiring His way. You will begin to
regularly hear His voice and find delight once more in spending time with
Him. [Being Still With God Every Day by Henry Blackaby]
Heres some good news. You arent stuck with todays
personality. You arent condemned to grumpydom. You are tweak-able!
So what if you were born a bigot? You dont have to die one.
Where did we get the idea we cant change? Where do
statements come from such as, Its just my nature to worry, or
Ill always be pessimistic. Im just that way. Or, I have a
bad temper. I cant help the way I react? Who says? Would we
say, its just my nature to have a broken leg. I cant do
anything about it. Of course not. If our body malfunctions, we seek
help. Shouldnt we do the same with our hearts? Cant we seek aid
for our sour attitudes? Of course we can. Jesus can change our
hearts! He wants us to have a heart like his! [Max Lucado Daily
Devotional at maxlucado.com]
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Moses made a life-changing decision on that day he renounced his
old life and identified with God's family. His environment changed;
his circle of friends changed; his life-style changed; his
opportunities changed; and his future changed - forever. Not many of us
realized that, at the time of our conversion, all of these same things
changed for us, too. Or did they? What difference has accepting Christ
really made in your life? Can you list any sacrifices that resulted?
Have you suffered at all, in any area? Have relationships changed
since that time? If nothing has changed in your life, then it is
likely that what you experienced was not a conversion experience.
Think about it. [In His Time Walk With Wisdom re Heb.11:24, 25]
If our hearts are not changed, following God's rules will be
unpleasant and difficult. We will rebel against being told how to live. The
Holy Spirit, however, gives us new desires, helping us 'want' to obey
God (Philip. 2:12, 13). With new hearts, we find that serving God is
our greatest joy. [Life Application SB]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2013/20131105-1628.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170604-1615.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2005/20050725-1103.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
