Probably the most famous chapter of the great book of Ezekiel is 37, the Valley of dry bones. There being so much great insight and encouragement to us today being found within. It shows us that God is able to restore our Spirits, and bring us life just as He did there, and what's more, to use us to do the same for those around us who are dead in Spirit. However seeing as we all already know this verse, let's look at another one instead.
Ezekiel 36:26-29
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you.”
Let us wait and let that sink in for a few moments, and consider the ramifications of what God said.
This may shatter some misconceptions about our view of God and the Bible. Are we ready?
This was written long before Christ was born, the 'merciful' version of God as some say. If we look at this verse, and in fact, all throughout the Old Testament, we see that God's heart and will is always redemption, never hatred and judgement. Yes there are times when judgement takes place, but that was never His first response, or His perfect will. He is, and always has been the merciful One.
Now to those Calvinists out there I apologise for you may not like this next part.
This means that sometimes things happen, in fact God choose actions that are not His perfect will, as we (mankind) have a say in how this world will look and have the power to say no to God.
This is huge. God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He spoke and it was, and all of a sudden, something answers back and says “no”. How would that make you feel?
When we really think about it, that right there is grounds for our death, and many people have had that sentence placed upon them by generations of kings and tyrant rulers.
But His love, my friends His love stayed His hand. For our own sake he release us from the garden, and yet did not abandon us, but was always there answering our cries for help.
But our own hearts betrayed us.
When we said no, rebellion, jealousy, resentment settled in, and our hearts became cold as we walked away from the One whose Spirit sustains.
We have a heart of stone, unfeeling, looking for that one thing to bring us hope and fulfilment.
So this promise that God has for the Israelites, and thus all mankind is so incredibly mind-blowing.
He will give us a new heart, one of flesh, a new Spirit, His Spirit.
He will remove the old heart of stone. What a privilege and a blessing, and yet, it does not come without its cost.
It will hurt. Open heart surgery, removing our bitterness, unforgiveness and hurts. Our pains, humiliations and struggles. Our dreams and desires, good and bad we must release into the hands of the master surgeon.
He said He would do it, but never promised that it would be easy, but that it would be worth it.
The great thing is, it's not our responsibility to do. We do not have to do such a thing ourselves. We cannot operate on our own hearts. Sure we try every year at this time, I will do this and this for the new year and will no longer blah blah blah.
It never works does it?
God is the surgeon, so let us be the patient, and be patient.
Lo and behold it suddenly becomes easy to do the will of God. As we have a new heart and Spirit, and He is working in us causing us to walk in His Statutes. It becomes our pleasure to take part in heavenly things, as that is where our heart is at, and so the temptations of the flesh lose their powers on us.
Our God is greater, our God is stronger and more just and more loving than all else.
He is Alive, and He lives in me. Let us glorify His name together, today.
Let His wisdom lead you in your travels today, and His love settle in your hearts.
Daniel