Ezekiel 10:1-13:23
Ezekiel 11:19-20, “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 10:1-13:23
Ezekiel 11:19-20, “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.”
Are you familiar with the song “Cold as Ice” by Foreigner? If so, sing along with the following lyrics. If not, read them — and, later, do yourself a favor by checking out the song online… It’s a classic!
“You’re as cold as ice
You’re willing to sacrifice our love
You never take advice
Some day you’ll pay the price, I know.”
Well, as classic as this song might be, God’s been singing these lyrics for thousands of years — and it’s true! This is the message Ezekiel was sharing in today’s reading. But, then, amid his harsh criticism of the people’s stubborn, unrepentant, stone-cold heart condition, he shared the promise that God desires to break through the harsh exterior, remove the sin-built callouses, and drive out the sub-zero conditions with the warm blaze of His love and grace!
But here’s the thing! It’s a “both/and” scenario: God does His part as long as we do ours. We have to be willing to act by making any necessary changes. And God provides what our human determination and finite thinking lack — the supernatural power to transform us through His Spirit living within us! However, if we pridefully ignore the need for change, waffling between living for God and ourselves, our hearts will always be “as cold as ice!”
No one likes the discomfort and downright misery that comes from freezing temperatures. It just makes everything more difficult and can wreak a lot of havoc. But, no matter the temperature outside, we can crank up the thermostats in our hearts as we work in tandem with the Holy Spirit’s guidance to be who God wants us to be — warm-hearted and loved! His very own!