Ezekiel 36:22-30: a reflection

22“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I don’t do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” says the Lord GOD, “when I am proven holy in you before their eyes. 24“‘“For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them. 28You will dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and will multiply it, and lay no famine on you. 30I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the nations.

Among God's promises to his people is one that reaches to the very core of a person: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. A heart of stone is hard, unfeeling, unresponsive, unable to be moved or softened; and God promises to remove it and give instead a heart of flesh, a heart that is soft, responsive, alive to him. Where there was hardness, God promises to give softness; where the heart had become like stone, unable to respond, God promises to make it a living, responsive heart of flesh. He can soften what has hardened, giving a new and tender heart in place of the old, stony one.

Notice God's promise to soften the hardened heart. A heart can grow hard, like stone, unresponsive to God, unmoved, unable to feel or respond; and such a heart cannot soften itself. But God promises to do it: to take away the stony heart and give a heart of flesh, soft and responsive. This is God's own work, a transformation of the heart he alone can accomplish, softening what had hardened, making the unresponsive heart alive again. The hardness of heart that we cannot cure ourselves, God can; he can replace the heart of stone with a heart of flesh, making the hardened heart tender and responsive to him once more. The softening of the hardened heart is God's gift.

That is worth taking to heart, for God can soften our hardened hearts, giving us a heart of flesh in place of stone. We can find our hearts grown hard toward God, unresponsive, unmoved, like stone, and unable to soften ourselves; but God promises to take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh. The hardness we cannot cure, God can soften. When you find your heart grown hard and unresponsive toward God, do not despair as though it must stay stone; God can soften it, giving you a heart of flesh. Ask God to soften your hardened heart, giving you a heart of flesh in place of stone, trusting the promise that he can take away the stony heart and make it tender and responsive again; for the hardness of heart we cannot cure ourselves, God can soften, and he is able to give a new and living heart in place of the old, stony one.

Lord, among your promises to your people is one that reaches to the very core of a person: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. A heart of stone is hard, unfeeling, unresponsive, unable to be moved or softened; and you promise to remove it and give instead a heart of flesh, a heart that is soft, responsive, alive to you. Where there was hardness, you promise to give softness. You can soften what has hardened, giving a new and tender heart in place of the old, stony one. Show me your promise to soften the hardened heart. A heart can grow hard, like stone, unresponsive to you, unmoved, unable to feel or respond; and such a heart cannot soften itself. But you promise to do it: to take away the stony heart and give a heart of flesh. This is your own work, a transformation of the heart you alone can accomplish. The hardness of heart that I cannot cure myself, you can; you can replace the heart of stone with a heart of flesh. Take that to my heart, for you can soften my hardened heart, giving me a heart of flesh in place of stone. I can find my heart grown hard toward you, unresponsive, unmoved, like stone, and unable to soften myself; but you promise to take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh. When I find my heart grown hard and unresponsive toward you, keep me from despairing as though it must stay stone; you can soften it, Lord. Help me ask you to soften my hardened heart, giving me a heart of flesh in place of stone, trusting your promise that you can make it tender and responsive again.