When The Door Slams
"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 judgements and do them. Ezekiel 36:26-27
From our hearts comes our response to God. Apart from the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, our hearts are extremely deceitful (Prov. 17:9). David prayed that God would cleanse him from the evil of his sin and purify his heart (Ps. 51:10). God's greatest desire is that His people love Him will all their hearts (Deut. 6:5). Jesus said we are blessed if our hearts are pure (Matt. 5:8).
Sin hardens the heart (Matt. 13:4,19). The more sin we allow to pass over our hearts and through our lives, the more resistant we become to a Word from God. The sin of unforgiveness and disobedient stiffens our hearts. We cannot continue to resist the activities of the Holy Spirit without becoming hardened against Him. Exposing ourselves to evil and ungodly sexual influences desensitizes us to God and His Word. Over time, our hearts become like stone, unreceptive to a fresh Word from God. We become unconsciousness to sin.
Think about this: Has your heart grown hard toward God? Do you feel as though nothing could soften it? God has a solution. He will separate you from the influences that are destroying you (Ezek. 36:24). He will cleanse you from all filthiness and remove everything that has taken His place in your affections (Ezek. 36:25). He will remove your heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh, tender toward Him and His Word. If your love for God is not what it should be, ask Him to renew your heart and restore your devotion to Him.
Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1,2).
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Never Rest Ministries
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