My Favorite Old Testament Passage

Today in our Bible reading plan we read my favorite Old Testament passage:

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Ezekiel 36:25-28)

It is my favorite because it describes my past perfectly, and gives me hope for today and for my future.

I had a heart of stone. Before God saved me, I thought religion was a farce and religious people were self-righteous hypocrites. When I first heard the Gospel, I wanted to get as far away from people who believed it as I could.

But God removed that heart of stone and gave me a heart of flesh, and I believed. I saw my sin, and saw Jesus as my wonderful Savior. I trusted Him and I have never been the same.

This heart of flesh beats within my old body. I don’t always want holiness, and I don’t always want to obey. But God has put His Spirit within me, and He is at work to cause me to walk in His ways and to obey. This is my hope for today – God in me.

Because Jesus died for me, because He has made me new, I know that one day I will be with God in the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1-3), and the end of this promise looks forward to that day.

Praise the Lord, oh my soul, praise the Lord!

Posted by David Fenton on Mar 17, 09:38 AM