I’m glad that you don’t have superhero x-rays eyes because I don’t want you to see into my heart.  On the outside, my heart may seem kind, generous, gentle, and thoughtful.  Perhaps even godly.  Those things are there, yes, but there is also some junk that I don’t want you to see.  There are hidden things that I cover up with my sweet spirit and my smile.   Yes, in my heart dwells jealousy, anger, resentment, and conceit, as well as more sin and wickedness that I don’t want to reveal to anyone.

We are all human, and the truth is that we all have filthy junk in our hearts.  If we are honest, we will admit that we currently have some sin and wickedness in our hearts.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, ” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked…”  So let’s fess up to it.

We have lust in our hearts.
We are jealous of our friends’ beautiful homes.
We care too much about our appearance and our clothing.  
We yell at our children in frustration-induced anger.
We tell gossip and we eagerly listen to it.
We aren’t completely truthful with our spouses.
We cheat on our taxes.
We backbite against out bosses and coworkers.  
And we spend more time with Netflix than with God.

Sin.
In.
Our.
Hearts.

Recently in my own struggle with anger and bitterness, I was at a point where I could not forgive and all I did was think of how I wanted to chew someone out.  I was consumed with “clever comebacks” and words that would hurt them.  And I wanted revenge:  I wanted them to hurt like I did. Although I desperately tried to love and forgive, my evil heart just could not do it on its own.  My heart was hardened.

That is when I cried out to God, “I can’t do this!” and I asked him to take out my stony heart and give me a heart of flesh instead.

I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19 NIV

I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart…Ezekiel 11:19 NLT

God is the answer for a hardened heart.  God is the answer for a heart of sin.  God is the answer for your stony heart.

What should you do?  Pray.  It is that simple.  If you are mired in sin, pray.  Ask God to remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  The new heart of flesh is tender to Him and desires to walk in His ways.  In fact, in Ezekiel 11:20, God says that when He gives us this heart of flesh, we can do what He asks us to do.  And He promises to be our God.

In this Christian life, there will always be times when our hearts get hardened and we stumble into sin.  It happens.  But there is a way out. God will help you to overcome the sin when you pray and ask Him to change your heart.  He promises to change your stony heart into one that can obey His Word.  And He promises that He will be your God.   He will walk in intimate relationship with you.

And girls, that is Good News.  We get a new heart. We overcome sin.  And we get to walk with God.

What about you?  Is there an area of your life where your heart is stony and you need a heart of flesh?  Tell me about it so I can pray for you.  Send me an email, or leave a comment. 

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