And I will give you a new heart, and I will
put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give
you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26
 |
| Israeli Flag flying over the Sea of Galilee. Flying over the nation of Israel. |
What a great promise! A new heart—tender,
responsive. A new heart would be like Christ’s heart. Loving, compassionate,
considerate. The new spirit will surely be an infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Read this text in context. God is talking
about when He will bring His people back into the land of Israel. That is what
has been happening for the last seventy years.
Therefore, give the people of Israel this
message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back, but not because you
deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame
while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name
is--the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my
holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the
nations will know that I am the LORD. For I will gather you up from all the
nations and bring you home again to your land. Then I will sprinkle clean water
on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no
longer worship idols. Ezekiel 36:22-25.
This is exciting. We may all want “a new
heart” and that promise is given to us as we ask, like David did…Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a
loyal spirit within me. Psalm 51:10. This promise in Ezekiel is for the
Israelites who have been scattered around the world. Now they are coming back
to their homeland…back to the Promised Land of Israel…back to God. May He bless
them as they turn their hearts towards Him.
A clean heart will renew our relationship
with the Lord…and with others around us. What a great “gift” at the beginning
of this Christmas season. Good relationships.
Prayer
~ Lord God, Bless Your people, Israel. We rejoice in their homecoming and the
fulfilling of Your prophesy. They are Your people.
Daily
Bible Reading: Acts 18-19
© 2018 Text and
Photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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