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 (NLT)
Have you ever had your heart skip a beat? I mean, literally skip a beat? I have. The first time, it’s a bit disturbing. I say the first time because mine actually skips a lot of beats. It’s a condition I’ve lived with my entire adult life. My heart will be going thumpity-thump-thump perfectly fine one moment, then all of a sudden, it goes thumpity…thump thump thump…thumpity. Those “…” mean that my heart actually stopped beating. Yeah. It’s weird. I made the mistake one time of putting my finger up to my artery to feel my pulse when I was having an episode. That was probably not a good idea. Let’s just say it’s a bit unnerving when you realize that for a second or two, you actually have no pulse.
My heart rhythm has what’s called an abnormality, it’s not normal. There is no real cause, as in a birth defect. It just decides to take some time off now and again.
In a less literal sense, but a more real one, we all have busted hearts. From the moment we are born, our hearts are diseased with sin. This sin causes us to have issues, as we are incapable of loving to the fullness with which God calls us to love. Sin causes us to be wrapped up in our own selfishness. Don’t believe me? Just look at a baby, or a toddler, and see how selfish they are. (I know, babies don’t know any better.) They want what they want, and a tantrum follows if they don’t get it. Their behavior is a direct reaction to having a sinful heart. (I’ve also seen adults behave this way, too.)
So, here, God is telling us that when we accept Him into our lives, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our Great Surgeon performs a heart transplant. He removes our sinful, nasty, diseased heart, and replaces it with His own – His Holy Spirit. Because of this, we no longer must follow our sinful desires, but now have a voice, an Advocate living inside of us that will show us how to love as God loves. How to be selfless rather than selfish.
Today, may your prayer be that God will make His heart beat loud and proud inside of you. Pray that your sinful heart will be permanently removed, and His Spirit will lead in your life. Pray that God will show you how to love, how to serve, how to live.
ChadReisig.org 